Taking Flight!

The 2009 Buccaneers will spend a lot more time in the air than they did last year. 

In 2008, Tampa Bay traveled just under 16,000 miles in order to attend their 10 road games in the preseason and regular season. That was a fairly conservative travel plan; only 10 teams had fewer combined miles during the season. 

This year, the Bucs are slated to travel 23,018 miles to get to their games, including a "home" contest played in London. That trip overseas and a Week 15 cross-country jaunt to Seattle are largely responsible for the Buccaneers ranking sixth among the league's 32 teams in terms of miles to be traveled this fall. 

The hosting Seahawks won't feel sorry for the Buccaneers. Just as it was in 2008, Seattle is at the top of the travel list, expected to log 29,054 miles in 2009. The Seahawks will travel more miles this year than Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland combined. 

The Buccaneers just missed joining the group of five teams that will "travel around the world" in 2009. It takes 25,000 miles to circumnavigate the globe, something the Seahawks, 49ers, Chargers, Cardinals and Raiders will do.  

The total distance traveled by all teams will be 578,912 miles. This is 18,128 fewer miles than last year, when teams traveled a total of 597,040 miles. 

2009 NFL TRAVEL MILES 

(2009 preseason and regular season) 

TEAM TOTAL MILES 

1. Seattle  29,054  

2. San Francisco  29,020  

3. San Diego  28,628  

4. Arizona  27,840  

5. Oakland  27,232  

TEAM TOTAL MILES 

6. Tampa Bay  23,018  

7. New England  22,710  

8. Denver  21,868  

9. Jacksonville  20,934  

10. Dallas  19,054