As much as the Vikings could try to mechanize preparing for an international game, Bynum offered a mantra that might help them manage the disruption.
“For me, no routine is the best routine,” he said. “The biggest thing I’ve learned, traveling place to place, living in different places, is, ‘Just go with it.’ You’re gonna be tired, but just go walk around, go outside and do something, but don’t put yourself near a bed where you’re going to knock out. And I’ve seen the good and bad of that: I’ve had times where I’ve said, ‘Forget it, I’m taking a nap,’ and slept all day, and took days to get out of the jet lag. But I enjoy the chaos of it.”
For the Vikings, Friday felt as much like a junket as a regular-season practice day. Carter, Reed and Allen were on hand for practice, before fan events in London on Saturday. More than 30 British media members asked Jefferson about the enduring popularity of the Griddy, while coach Kevin O’Connell was given opportunities to stump for the NFL’s appeal to European fans.
“I grew up loving this game,” O’Connell said. “Everything about it, it really has defined who I am as a person: being around such a unique, dynamic team sport where you can accomplish nothing without the other 10 guys in the huddle doing their job.”
“It’s very competitive,” he added. “Our rules are set up that, you know, really, every single training camp, every fan base, should feel like we’ve got a chance this year to do something special. And then the best part is we roll it out 17 times and see what happens from there. So hopefully we continue to get more and more opportunities worldwide. But I know how special this area of the world is, and the London games have been such a phenomenal thing for our league. And we hope to continue to grow, not only our fan base, but [the] opportunities to come.”
Two years ago, the Vikings flew home from London hours after beating the Saints, with a home game against the Bears on their schedule the following Sunday. This time, they will take their bye week after the game and delay their flight home until Monday, giving players, coaches and team officials a night to explore London with their families.