NFL in London

National Football League in London

NFL Betting

Super Bowl 59 Recap: Eagles Soar, Chiefs Sputter

by

It was an incredible Super Bowl 59 for the NFC and Eagles fans, as they thoroughly humbled Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, and the coaching staff of KC.
It turns out that they can be beat in the post season, as Philly was all over them.
Let’s take a look at a recap of the big game.

Philadelphia’s Defensive Domination

The Philadelphia Eagles turned Super Bowl LIX into their own personal highlight reel, bulldozing the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 and making Patrick Mahomes look, well, mortal. The Eagles’ defensive line showed up like they were double-parked outside the stadium, racking up six sacks and applying relentless pressure on Mahomes, who was running for his life all night.

Josh Sweat led the way with 2.5 sacks, while Milton Williams and Jordan Davis contributed to the Mahomes mayhem. By the time the first half ended, Mahomes had already thrown two interceptions—one of which rookie Cooper DeJean returned 38 yards for a touchdown. The Chiefs must have wondered if they’d walked into the wrong stadium because this was looking less like a championship game and more like an Eagles-sponsored stress test.

The Mahomes Meltdown

Mahomes has been known to perform miracles on the field, but this time, he needed divine intervention. The Chiefs’ quarterback had one of the worst playoff performances of his career, finishing 21-of-32 for 257 yards, three touchdowns (two coming in garbage time), and two momentum-killing interceptions. Kansas City fans were left wondering if they had been transported back to Super Bowl LV, when Mahomes was similarly tormented by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

To be fair, it wasn’t entirely his fault—his offensive line provided less protection than a broken umbrella, and his receivers seemed to be playing a game of “Hot Potato” with the football. Travis Kelce, normally Mahomes’ go-to target, was practically invisible in the first half, managing just one yard alongside rookie Xavier Worthy.

Hurts Silences the Doubters

Jalen Hurts, on the other hand, played like a man on a mission. The Eagles’ quarterback shrugged off any remaining doubts about his ability to win the big one, earning Super Bowl MVP honors with a near-flawless performance. He completed 17-of-22 passes for 221 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, while also leading the team in rushing with 72 yards and a touchdown.

Hurts became just the second quarterback in history to throw for 200 yards and rush for 70 yards in a Super Bowl—joining himself from Super Bowl LVII. Maybe now people will stop questioning whether he belongs in the elite QB conversation.

The Chiefs’ Secondary: A Horror Show

Kansas City’s rush defense deserved a standing ovation, bottling up Saquon Barkley and holding him to just 57 yards on 25 carries (a brutal 2.3 yards per attempt). Unfortunately for them, the secondary was about as sturdy as wet cardboard. Jaylen Watson got cooked on a 46-yard touchdown from Hurts to DeVonta Smith, and the Chiefs gave up five pass plays of 20+ yards. If Kansas City is serious about contending again next year, their offseason shopping list should start with “new defensive backs.”

Questionable Officiating: A Super Bowl Tradition

What’s a Super Bowl without a little referee controversy? The game started with two questionable penalties—one against Eagles receiver A.J. Brown on a phantom offensive pass interference, and another unnecessary roughness flag against Chiefs corner Trent McDuffie. While the calls didn’t impact the outcome, they certainly didn’t help Kansas City’s already uphill battle.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next?

The Chiefs’ bid for a three-peat is officially dead, but Mahomes and Andy Reid will be back for another run next season—though Travis Kelce’s future remains uncertain. As for the Eagles, they’ll have to replace offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who is reportedly heading to the Saints, but with a dominant defense and an elite quarterback, Philadelphia is set up for more success in the years to come.

Super Bowl 59 may not have given us a nail-biting finish, but it gave us plenty to talk about—mainly, how unstoppable the Eagles’ defense was and how much therapy Chiefs fans will need. Here’s to another wild NFL season ahead!

Divisional Halfway-NFC

by

Welcome to November, as we begin the chilly part of the NFL season, and take a look at the Divisional Halfway-NFC, in a division that is really heating up.

With half of the season already done, teams should have a pretty good idea of what it takes to make that giant playoffs leap forward. Let’s break down each division and separate the wheat from the losers.

NFC EAST

What the Washington? Where did they come from? Dan Synder must be licking his wounds, or trading naked pictures of cheerleaders on the dark web, to see what the WFT has done in 2024. Jayden Daniels has made an immediate impact, even tossing a game winning Hail Mary to beat the Bears. With zero expectations going into the season, they sure like the hot hand in the East.

Philly might have something to say about that, after a slow start has suddenly invigorated their D, and put some punch back into Jalen’s legs. Saquon has been a beast for the Eagles, and they could look to ride him into a playoff berth.

Dallas is getting messy, and not in a good way. Jerry Jones has poor communication going on from the top down, as it’s not clear what them Boys are going to do. Dak is struggling with no O line, raging running backs, and only CeeDee in double coverage. Maybe they get dangerous after week 10, or just continue to implode.

New York got exposed on Hard Knocks, and it seems to have followed them like the stink of moth balls. Losing Saquon was a face slap, but maybe not as hard as how Daniel Jones has under performed this season. Is it the coaching, or does DJ lack the gusto to win? The Giants sure have.

NFC NORTH

The Motor City is the big cat in this division, as the Lions have continued to spank opponents in big fashion. Jared Goff has been solid, the running game has double punching power, and the receivers are top notch. Losing Hutchinson is a big blow for the D, but they seem to have recovered and look like the top picks in the NFC.

The Vikings are doing that totally Minnesota thing again. Starting great, and them flummoxing themselves to February with inconsistent play. After being exposed after running up 5 wins, they seem to be naked to their own advancement. Will they be able to rally, or will Darnold get the blame for a team a few weapons short.

Green Bay has had a surprising season of wins, when it looked like Love trouble after week 1. It all comes down to the coaching here, as Matt Lafleur has been clutch in reading teams, and calming his approach. Josh Jacobs has been a welcome addition as the Pack have made a bit of a run, but they always seem to shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to crush time.

Whoa those Bears! Caleb has been steady, but not as solid as the D has been at keeping Chicago in games. While there was a lot of expectations, Bears fans should be happy that they are at the beginning of a franchise whilst others falter. Eberflus should be relieved of play-calling, and stick to overall coaching, but the Bears might be able to sneak through with a cheeky wild card if they can make it through a tough last schedule.

NFC SOUTH

The dirty south runs through Atlanta, as Kirk Cousins has found his groove, and the Falcons have a running game that can do some damage. A slow start has led to the birds starting to flock together, although their D has shown they can take points hits. They are owning their division, which goes a long way to the playoffs.

Baker Mayfield tries so hard, but that hasn’t helped Tampa as they took a slew of injuries to thwart their fun run of W’s. It’s hard to see a way for the Bucs to continue, as Mayfield doesn’t have enough targets, or O line to stop the bleed. He might find a way to a wild card, but it’s doubtful.

Derek Carr and the Saints marched to 2 quick wins of 50 points, with Alvin Kamara trampling D’s, then the suck happened. Carr looks to return, but the Saints and Dennis Allen have shown that something isn’t right in New Orleans. Too inconsistent, too many injures, and not enough weapons. What will they trade away?

Oh Carolina, even Shaggy couldn’t write a song about your woes. Bring in Bryce, bring in Andy, what does it matter? The Panthers traded away the rest of their goods, so they’re trying to dress for the Oscars, with items from a charity shop. Only good thing about the Panthers is betting against them.

NFC WEST

The West use to be best, but it hasn’t looked that way to start the season, as this division is as wide open as the plains that separate them. The 49ers SHOULD be leading the way here, but big injuries, and close loses have fated them to a grind it out time. San Fran is a good team, they just haven’t shown it yet, and they better soon, or they could get usurped.

Matt Stafford and the Rams continue to find ways to win, because they were still recent Super Bowl champs. Coaching has been the big key in ’24, and Sean McVay has winning in his blood. Despite some early injuries, the Rams are starting to make a string of wins happen, and that’s dangerous for the NFC. Don’t be surprised if the Rams wild card it to the danger zone in 2025.

Seattle has been riding old man Geno hard over the past few seasons, with not a lot of support. The Seahawks have games where they look brilliant, and then play the Bills and looks totally outclassed. When it comes down to the tough games, the team crumbles under the pressure, and won’t see a lot of joy going forward.

Kyler Murray keeps trying, but it just isn’t enough for a Cardinals squad that can only play half a game. One minute he’s looking awesome, scrambling and hitting targets, and the other he looks lost in shuffle.
Arizona has never felt like they could put a full winning team together to win every game. Coming up short is their way, and they’ll do it again.

Who knows what the season will hold, but it looks like the Lions, Falcons, Redskins, and Rams will all be fighting it out in January.

Make sure you listen to our latest podcast, just give it a click here.

Divisional Halfway-AFC

by

We’re already through 8 regular weeks of NFL seasonal play, and there are some challengers and losers in the bunch of 32. Let’s take a look at the Divisional Halfway AFC standings when it comes to the teams, as we break down each division for some insight.

AFC East

At the start of the season, the power-packed East looked sure to send at least 2 teams through to the playoffs, off the back of Aaron Rodgers, or head of Tua. With November now here, it’s possible that the Buffalo Bills will have this sucker wrapped up by Thanksgiving.

The Jets are a mess, and with only 3 wins going into November, it’s highly unlikely they go anywhere unless the run the table.

Tua and the Dolphins are also lost in the fog, as another series of concussions should be paramount in his future thinking. As a result coach Mike McDaniel also looks lost, and even Tyreek Hill is apologising to NFL Fantasy owners. Is this the end of the Miami run before a rebuild?

As for the Patriots, NFL fans around the world are enjoying this after too many TB12 seasons. Drake Make might be the future, if he doesn’t get killed by a weak O-line first.

AFC North

The Steelers? For real? This isn’t a April Fool’s joke?
Nope, coach Tomlin shows that coaching is what makes teams, as he rides his D and ageing QB’s to the top tier of this division. While many pundits claim it won’t last long, they still find ways to win, when others are taking L’s.

The dark horse Ravens were thought to be running away with this division, given the MVP calibre play of Jackson and Henry, but there are still some cracks. Those cracks would be in their secondary, which has been allowing points in, and games lost. Still gotta beat the Chiefs at the end of the day.

Cincinnati is in trouble, real trouble. No matter what Burrow does, that D is pouring in points every week. Even with such a stellar squad, the Bengals are struggling to get wins over even the weakest teams. Perhaps it’s time for a coaching change?

Oh Cleveland you filthy beast, what’s going on? Jameis has probably played his last football, and even Johnny Manziel is looking good right now. It looks like another rebuild decade for the Brownies, as fans must be at the end of their tether.

AFC South

The dirty south looks like it’s running through Houston again, but there are big sized Texas problems. After a Week 9 TNF loss to the Jets, CJ Stroud even admitted that there is a problem in Houston. Too many injuries to rely on Mixon’s legs, and CJ seems to have taken a step back.

Stepping back even further has been Colts QB Anthony Richardson, who has made a shocking regression from last season, and his quotes about being ‘tired’, are sure to inflame fans, and anyone over 30. Indy might be 4-4 now, but how long can they rely on Old Joe Flacco?

Jacksonville must be thanking their lucky stars that Tennessee is in their division, because otherwise they would be in dead last place. When owner Khan declared that ‘winning is the only option’, he must have had some crumbs in his moustache, because winning looks far away. Coach Doug better bring his rosary beads every week, because he’s got some praying to do.

As for the Titans, they well and truly suck. The Nashville fire sale has begun, with Hopkins gone, and Will Levis looking CFL bound next year. There’s always changing their name back to the Oilers?

AFC West

Kansas City is 7-0, and it doesn’t look likely that anyone will beat them. Mahomes is playing well enough, but it’s the coaching, the D and Taylor. No, you’re crying.

Denver didn’t look like they were off to a good start in 2024, but coach Payton has gotten the Broncos and Bo Nix humming. It helps to have a shut-down safety like Surtain, and who knows how far this team could go?

LA Chargers are also playing smart, and slow football. With a 4-3 record heading into week 9, the Bolts are looking to keep pace with KC, and slot themselves into the postseason off their solid D.

Tom Brady might part own the Raiders now, but everyone else has been owning them too. Like many things in Vegas, it might be time to implode the old, and rebuild the new, or did they do that already? Do it again.

So congrats to the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens, one of you will be representing the AFC come February.

 

Week 1 Picks

by

That unexplainable feeling of excitement rushing through your veins right now is football, because the NFL is back baby! Let’s start this season right with our Week 1 Picks for the 2024 season.

To hear all of the picks, and to listen to all the reasoning from Ryan and Wade, just click on this link here for all the glory of the full episode.

Of course, if you’re far too lazy to listen to 45 minutes of punditry, we can also give you some of the boys top tips for the week, so that you can just roll into your betting app, and drop some jingles.
It is week 1, which means predictions don’t usually mean squat, but if you make them with attitude, they seem to have a bit more mustard.

Week 1 Picks

So let’s take a look at some of the top tips for Sunday and Monday, after the Chiefs and Eagles have already secured their W’s for the weekend.

Ryan

It’s all about the Bills again for Ryan this year, as his Canadian-ness propels him to root for a border city team. Will the Bills be able to make the playoffs this year after another season of disappointment?
Ryan’s first big upset is the Jacksonville Jags over the Dolphins in the battle of Florida. With the Fins losing loads of D this year, he likes Trevor and the Jags to cause a little upset in the sun on Sunday. Despite Miami being favoured by 3, he likes Jacksonville to win by 2.
Chugging on with his upset train, Ryan has the Panthers getting their first W of the year with a win over division rivals New Orleans. Despite a sucky season in 2023, Ryan likes Bryce Young and the team to move the chains against a limp Saints squad.
His last upset of the 1pm games sees the feisty Colts getting a victory at home over the visiting Texans. Overlooking the heroics of CJ Stroud last year, Ryan likes the horses to apply the pressure and era out a win.

Wade

Wade also has a series of upsets on tap for his Week 1 Picks, and some of them might surprise you.
Wade has the G-Men winning at home over the Vikings, as he likes Daniel Jones and the home squad over a Sam Darnold led team which has way to many question marks on it. It’ll be tight, but he thinks the Giants will prevail.
Much to Ryan’s dismay, Wade is also taking the Cardinals for an upset against the Bills at home. Buffalo has a notoriously slow start, so he likes Arizona to start the season with a fierce and fast start against the Bills.
Another upset that he is eyeing up is the 4pm contest between the Raiders and Chargers in LA. With Justin Herbert suffering a foot injury at the start of the season, things suddenly look questionable for the Chargers with such a nagging problem. Antonio Pierce likes to start with lots of energy, something that Las Vegas will be opening a can of.

DraftKings

Do you like to play Weekly Fantasy Football? Then why not join our DraftKings League, where you can play for free and paid every week.
All you have to do is click below, and join one of our many weekly contests. You don’t need to pay to play, unless of course you want to win some cash!

https://dkn.gs/r/jPPbmLURQUWWfYH-Md1G9g

NFL Viewing Parties

Does your bar or pub show the NFL in the UK? Are you looking to promote your venue to attract more NFL fans? Just reach out to us, and we can help put some bums in your seats, so that you can be an exclusive NFL in London approved venue.

We can help you promote the events, add NFL trivia or comedy, as well as help you create some authentic North American menu options.

Just reach out, and we can help!

NFC Predictions

by

With the season less than a week away, the boys have made their NFC Predictions for 2024, and there are quite a few surprises here!

It’s time for another podcast, as Ryan and Wade crank up the season ahead of a very exciting new season. Who will go to the big game? Who is taking their division? Which teams will be sucking donuts this season? The guys go through it all!

To listen to the whole podcast make sure that you click here for some goodness.

Here are a few thoughts from the podcast for all you Lazy Lester’s who don’t like holding out for all the goods.

NFC Predictions

NFC East

This division could either be a stellar battle, or a sad layout of bad coaching and even worse play. The Eagles were a shell of their former selves, the Cowboys are still awaiting contracts to be finalised, the WFT will be ‘re-building’, and the Giants? Who knows?
Ryan has the Eagles taking the division with 11 wins, taking the lead over them ‘Boyz who he is predicting to have a spectacular fall. (as in from grace). Washington will limp out with 8 wins, and he sees the Giants struggling to get 5 wins.
Wade also has the Eagles taking top spot, but thinks that they can get to 12 wins with some coaching changes. Let’s see what the loss of Kelce means to Hurts’ mobility. He also has the Cowboys in second, but sees them winning 10 games at least. Both Wade and Ryan see the Redskins going 8-9, with injury concerns if they run the heck out of their rookie QB. Wade has the Giants only claiming 3 wins this season, in a very frustrating affair.

NFC North

All hail the north! The icy tundra of football was won by the Lions last year, something they haven’t done in decades. Can they take the top spot over the Packers again this season, with the Bears loading up on talent? Oh yeah, and Minnesota.
Ryan is going ‘all-in’ on the Pack to take the north, even being so bold as to think they will go 12-5 on the back of Jordan Love. He sees the Lions sinking to second place, with the Bears getting 9 wins to take third place. He also thinks the Vikings will be lucky to get their 6 wins.
Wade might be a Bears fan, but he still thinks that Detroit is top lock to take this division. His Bears will come in at second place with 10 wins, and the Packers just behind with 9. Love struggled at the start of the season, and there is no reason to think that he is just going to ball out this year, just ’cause. The Vikings take home last spot, just like Ryan.

NFC South

Eesh, the South has been a nasty place for the past few years, with everyone struggle to line up some W’s. Cousins is in ATL now, and with all that talent in place, it’s hard to not see why he won’t come out on top. Baker led the Bucs to a big playoff win last season, and all the weight is on him to shine now that he’s being paid. The Saints hate their QB, as do the Panthers, which is never a good start.
Ryan is big on ATL to take it here, and sees them hitting 11 wins to boot. The rest of the division is due a losing record according to him, with Tampa, New Orleans and Carolina going down in that order.
Wade too likes ATL to win this won with 10 wins, although he sees the Bucs close behind with 9. New also has New Orleans and the Panthers following, but with the cats able to muster 5 wins this year off of some running.

NFC West

The West is best for the past few years, as the 49ers have taken top spot since the Rams won the Super Bowl. Stafford and the boys had a good season last year, so maybe McVay has some things cooking for ’24? Arizona and Seattle are beyond rebuilding, so things need to happen for them this year.
Ryan has the Niners taking top spot, but likes the Seahawks to sneak in just behind with a 10 win season.  He thinks the Rams gave away too much D, and will struggle to contain some of the other high scoring teams. He has the Cards last with an 8 win season.
Wade also has the Niners getting 11 W’s, with the Rams just behind them with 10. He has a tie in 3rd and 4th place, with the Seahawks and Cardinals both getting 7 wins a piece.
That’s it for our NFC Predictions! How many do you think the guys got right?
Spoiler Alert! No one EVER thinks anyone picks the right standings, so go ahead and blast away.
Enjoy the 2024 NFL season everyone!