The Baltimore Ravens have a request for the NFL's schedule makers: A later bye week.
Team president David Cass confirmed to reporters that the Ravens asked to not have a bye after a Week 3 tilt versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Clubs playing overseas are generally given a week off following their trip across the pond. Last season the Indianapolis Colts became the first team to request to play the week after their London contest and receive a later bye. Indy beat the Bears 29-23 in that home contest.
Desiring a later bye makes practical sense. An early bye means the Ravens would be forced to play 13 straight games to close out the season, which would be a grueling stretch for a team with aspirations of winning the AFC North. ESPN noted that the Ravens have had a bye in Week 4 or earlier four times (1996, 2002, 2005 and 2008) and made the playoffs in just one of those seasons (2008).
The full 2017 NFL schedule should come out within the next couple weeks. Mike North, Sr. Director of Broadcast Planning, who leads the schedule build held an in-depth conversation with NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano and fans during the Combine earlier this year, explaining how the NFL schedule is made.