Mike McCarthy doesn’t have the Packers travel to West Coast games a day earlier than normal, as predecessor Mike Sherman did, but he tries to keep the players on their normal schedule even though they’ll be crossing two time zones on the long flight to Seattle.

So, for instance, the Packers will keep their watches on Wisconsin time when they land in Seattle on Sunday evening after a flight of about four hours so their schedules will seem the same as if they were home.

“You talk about all the little things, the reminders,” McCarthy said of the long trip. “Hydration is very important any time you go on a plane, particularly a long flight, which we’ll be on, particularly going west. Time change out there, we adjust our schedule there a little bit Sunday night compared to what we’ve done on a normal road game because of just the fact that it’s 7 o’clock out there but it’s really 9 o’clock on our time clock. So we adhere to our body clock as opposed to the clock of Seattle. Just things like that. Being smart, get up and walk around the plane, make sure you’re stretching yourself out. Just all the little things.”

One of the most difficult parts of a night game is the long stretch of dead time between meetings in the morning and the start of the game.

“I tell you, the best game ever is a noon game at Lambeau Field,” McCarthy said. “There’s nothing like it. You get up early, grab a cup of coffee, head to the stadium and get rolling. But Monday night’s special, and we’re expecting a big-time environment in Seattle, that’s what I’m told.”