John Harbaugh is making sure the New York Giants have plenty of time to adjust before their first road game of the 2026 season. Instead of waiting until Sunday to travel across the country, the Giants will fly to Los Angeles on Saturday ahead of their Monday Night Football matchup against the Rams.
The decision is particularly interesting because New York has an extra day to prepare for the game. With the Giants playing Monday night, Harbaugh has adjusted the entire practice schedule and now wants his players to use the additional time to get accustomed to the three-hour time difference before facing Los Angeles.
This is not a new idea for Harbaugh. The Giants head coach revealed that he followed the same approach during his time with the Baltimore Ravens and even during his years with the Philadelphia Eagles. For Harbaugh, the goal is simple: give his players enough time to adjust their internal clocks so they can perform at their peak when Monday night’s game begins.
Why are the Giants traveling to Los Angeles on Saturday?
John Harbaugh was asked whether traveling to the West Coast a day early had always been part of his philosophy during his time in Baltimore. His answer was straightforward before explaining why he believes the approach works. “We did.”
Harbaugh then explained that the extra time allows the players to begin adjusting their schedules before the game. Rather than arriving in Los Angeles on Sunday and immediately preparing for Monday night, the Giants will get there Saturday night and intentionally keep the players up later to begin shifting their body clocks.
“I think it’s just been good. We did it in Philadelphia all those years too. You get a chance to kind of get your clock set just a little bit. We go ahead and get our clock set. We go out late. So, the guys are up a little later on the travel night two days before. We try to get them ready to be at their peak at night. That’s kind of the idea. Same thing we did at home, but now it’s on the road. That’s really the process.”
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Harbaugh wants Giants ready for Monday night
The timing of the trip gives the Giants an opportunity to gradually adapt instead of trying to make the adjustment immediately before one of their biggest games of the early season. New York is coming off an emotional Week 1 victory over the Dallas Cowboys and now faces a Rams team that presents a completely different challenge on the road.
Harbaugh’s strategy is ultimately about preparation rather than making the travel schedule itself a storyline. The Giants will practice Saturday before leaving for Los Angeles, giving the players additional time to settle in and prepare for a Monday night kickoff on the West Coast.
The Giants will now see whether Harbaugh’s familiar travel routine can help them execute at their highest level against the Rams. After beating Dallas under the lights in Week 1, New York will once again have a primetime stage, and Harbaugh is already taking steps to make sure his players are physically and mentally prepared when that moment arrives.
