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London Games 2023

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Alright NFL fans, the Draft is done, the season schedule is about to be released on May 11th, and we are due to know who is playing in the London Games 2023 on May 4th.

Prior to that date of course, we like to make our own predictions on who is going to play in London, and when.
It’s an annual fun tradition for us, and in no way is meant to confuse, or claim that these are the real games.
Although we have benefited from some great press from US media personalities reporting our news as gospel. (which it ain’t!)

Much like the Pro Bowl, this is just for fun, not to be taken too seriously, and forged under the influence of alcohol.
Funny enough we have gotten a few right in the past, let’s see how we do this year.

Methodology

No, we didn’t smoke ‘meth’ to come up with these, but we did look at schedule, past London appearances, recent team changes, and potential strength of travel schedule to determine who we think will be making it to the UK in the fall.

The London games have been moving steadily towards a two-chunk set at Tottenham early in the month, and a late October Wembley game in between the time changes.
This time change is a big part of the UK games, as it represents a 4 hour time difference between the east coast, and more appetising for networks schedulers.

We also asked ChatGPT but it got all weird and porny, so we just went back to our old faithful methods.

Again, no real science behind it.

If you want to listen to our DraftOver podcast, and our NFL London picks, listen here:

London Games 2023?

Raiders vs Bills-Oct 8, 2023

First up at Tottenham stadium this year will be the Buffalo Bills hosting the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct 8, 2023 at 2:30pm. There are no tickets, because this is a guess.

The Bills are set to host the following teams in 2023, with their previous London visits in brackets:
Broncos (’22), Jaguars (’22), Giants (’22), Cowboys (’14), Bucs (’22*), Raiders (’19), Jets, Dolphins, Patriots.

Given the toughness and ticket sales of the AFC East this season, it is very unlikely that NFL would schedule a divisional game abroad in 2023.
Each one of these games is going to be very important, and not one they want to lose out on big rivalry matches.

Given that the Broncos & Bucs were in Europe recently, that leaves the Jags, Raiders and Cowboys as top targets. The league could surprise us by having the Jags play twice in London this year, but it feels like a bit of an odd bunching.

With Jerry Jones and America’s team commanding such presence, it would seem unlikely that they would travel from Texas to London as visitors. Jones has a lot of pull with the league, and he would probably poo-poo this quickly.

It would seem likely then, that the struggling Las Vegas Raiders would be the most likely candidate to play the Buffalo Bills in October 2023.

Panthers vs Titans-Oct 15, 2023

We know that the Titans are in a building year (again), so while this might not be a HUGE loss to Tennessee home fans, they will want to see a good game out of it.

The Titans have the following Home opponents for 2023:
Chargers (’18); Seahawks (’18); Bengals (’19); Ravens (’17); Panthers (’19); Falcons (’21); as well as the Texans, Colts and Jags.

Again, while a divisional game sounds appetising, and their division truly sucks, it would seem unlikely that owners would offer that up, as the Jags played the Texans in 2019 in a craptastic result.

The Bengals, Falcons and Seahawks will be looking to tap into their heat, and would probably push back to a Europe trip after having been here only a few short years ago.

Carolina has been making massive changes to the team, which always doesn’t translate that well into fan support, which is why we think that they will be the ones making the trek to London town in 2023.

Ravens vs Jaguars-Oct 29, 2023

The Jags ended the 2022 season quite respectably after stagnating under Urban decay. With Dougie P leading the way, and Lawrence finding his form, Jacksonville might not be a chore to trek to Wembley to.

Jacksonville has some tough teams on tap in 2023 with: Chiefs (22*); Bengals (19), 49ers, Falcons, Panthers, and their division tripe as well.

The one team that does stick out here are the Baltimore Ravens, who haven’t been to the UK since 2017.
With Lamar firmly in control, and the team now ready to rock to the playoffs, it seems tempting to think that the Ravens will be facing the Jags in north London under a harvest moon.

That’s it for our predictions for the London Games 2023.
Who do you think will be coming to the UK?
Let’s see how we do!

 

 

 

Top 10 NFL Drafts of the Past 30 Years

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With the NFL draft looming on the horizon, it’s time to look at some of the best NFL Drafts from the past thirty years.
The Draft is an exciting time for football fans as they eagerly await to see which players their favourite teams will select. Over the past 3 decades, there have been some remarkable drafts that have produced many stars and legends of the game.
Here we will take a look at the top 10 NFL drafts of the past 30 years, as this one isn’t going to crack any ‘top lists.’

  1. 1996 NFL Draft

    This draft produced some of the greatest players in NFL history. The top three picks in this draft were all future Hall of Famers: Keyshawn Johnson, Kevin Hardy, and Jonathan Ogden. Other notable players in this draft include Ray Lewis, Eddie George, Marvin Harrison, Terrell Owens, and Zach Thomas. The 1996 Draft had some of the top players across every position. Those were the days.

  2. 2011 NFL Draft

    The 2011 draft was one of the deepest in NFL history, producing many future stars who are still playing today. Cam Newton was the first overall pick, and he went on to win the NFL MVP award in 2015. Other notable players in this draft include Von Miller, A.J. Green, Julio Jones, J.J. Watt, Richard Sherman, and Colin Kaepernick.

  3. 1989 NFL Draft

    The 1989 draft produced three players who would go on to win the NFL MVP award: Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, and Deion Sanders. Other notable players in this draft include Derrick Thomas, Steve Atwater, and Mark Carrier. Check out some of the pictures of the 1989 Draft, and the fashion choices alone should let you know that it was totally different era.

  4. 1991 NFL Draft

    The 1991 draft produced many future Hall of Famers, including Brett Favre, Aeneas Williams, and Herman Moore. Other notable players in this draft include Ricky Watters, Ted Washington, and Mike Croel. Hard to believe that this draft was over 32 years ago.

  5. 2012 NFL Draft

    The 2012 draft produced many top QB stars of the future, including Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson. Other notable players in this draft include Luke Kuechly, Fletcher Cox, and Bobby Wagner. Despite being 10 years ago, there are still a few players from this draft playing in the league.

  6. 1998 NFL Draft

    The 1998 draft produced two future Hall of Famers in Peyton Manning and Randy Moss. Other notable players in this draft include Charles Woodson, Fred Taylor, and Hines Ward. This was more of the ‘grit-iron’ generation of tough as nails players.

  7. 2017 NFL Draft

    The 2017 draft produced many impact players, including the first overall pick, Myles Garrett. Other notable players in this draft include Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey, and Alvin Kamara. This Draft is also known as the ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda,’, as many pundits and fans lament of what could have been had players signed elsewhere.

  8. 2001 NFL Draft

    The 2001 draft produced many Pro Bowl players, including LaDainian Tomlinson, Steve Hutchinson, and Richard Seymour. Other notable players in this draft include Michael Vick, Drew Brees, and Reggie Wayne. This could have been known as the HOF class, as many of the players in this group were record-setters.

  9. 2004 NFL Draft

    The 2004 draft produced three future Hall of Famers in Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger. Other notable players in this draft include Larry Fitzgerald, Vince Wilfork, and Jared Allen. 2004 brought us a whack load of great QBs, which beckons when another draft like this could happen?

  10. 1999 NFL Draft

    The 1999 draft produced five future Hall of Famers, including Edgerrin James, Champ Bailey, and Torry Holt. Other notable players in this draft include Ricky Williams, Donovan McNabb, and Jevon Kearse.

The NFL draft is a significant event in the April calendar of football, and it has produced many great players over the years. The drafts listed above were some of the best of the past 30 years, producing numerous stars and legends of the game. As football fans, we look forward to seeing what the future holds for the NFL draft and the next generation of players who will make their mark on the league.

Who will be the star of the future in the 2023 NFL Draft?

 

Super Bowl 57

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After 20 something weeks of exciting play, it’s finally time for the big game, as we make our predictions for Super Bowl 57 in Arizona.

It is a Super Bowl of historics, not only featuring two brothers playing each other, but also the first time that two black quarterbacks have faced each other in the big game.
It does feel that we are on the precipice of the new dynasty of heroes to emerge.

To make your life easier, Wade and Ryan have compiled all of their thoughts on the big game in this easy to listen to podcast.
All you have to do is sit back, kick your feet up, and listen to two Canadians in London try to figure out the big game.

Here’s the link to the podcast:

Kansas City Chiefs (14-3) vs 1-.5 Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) + 51

It’s the teams with the best two records in football, as it feels right that these two are battling it out on the final game after both teams showcased dynamic play throughout the season.
The Chiefs come into the big game as another underdog, a role they seemed to have thrived in during the playoffs.
Mahomes was able to shake off the curse of Burrows, but he wasn’t able to shake off an ankle injury, which will have all eyes on his mobility on Sunday.
The wide receiver corps is a bit a broken toy syndrome, with all of them in the workshop trying to cobble together their bodies before giving it there all.
Kansas City was even more short-handed against the Bengals, and were somehow able to thrive on the back of their D, and the stellar play of Chris Jones.
Patrick Mahomes is the best player in the league right now, it just depends on whether the rest of his team will play at the top of their game.
Philadelphia Eagles are technically in a ‘rebuilding’ year in 2022, but oh look at them go.
Philly was able to do what most teams failed to this season, make incremental gains to be a bit better than they were last year.
Their O line is top notch, boasting the best protection in the league.
Philly’s D is also humming, notching up 70 sacks, spread out amongst a dynamic team of pass rushers.
The only thing that seems to have dropped as of late is QB Jalen Hurts.
Hurts started the season on fire, but a mid-season injury seemed to take not only a bit of a spring our his step, but also the deep-ball out of his game.
If it turns into a shoot-out, the Eagles are going to need to find ways to get that ball DEEP, because this is where Mahomes thrives.
Ryan is picking the Chiefs in this one, as his AFC faithfulness believes that Mahomes and Kelce are just too good to be stopped.
He likes this one to go down to the wire, but that the red, white and yellow will be hoisting the Lombardy Trophy.
Wade is going with the Eagles, as the strength of their D, the protection from their O line, and the various running options at their disposal makes them too much to cover for a spread out D.
He thinks that the game will be close, but could actually see it get out of hand in an Eagles blow out if the Chiefs can’t keep their composure.
Ryan-Chiefs 27 Eagles 23
Wade-Eagles 26 Chiefs 23

Prop Bets

Here are a few prop and fun bets that we are looking at for Sunday.
-Mahomes UNDER 290.5 yards passing
-Gainwell OVER 19.5 receiving yards
-NO missed PATs -380
-First sack-Josh Sweat +1000
-Boston Scott-Anytime Touchdown -550
-Gatorade poured over winning coach will be BLUE +400

Super Bowl Trivia

How much do you know about the Super Bowl heading into Sunday?
Ready to take on our tough SuperBowl Quiz?
Just click here to play along!
That’s it for us for this week! Have fun on Sunday and enjoy the game!

Week 18 Picks

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It’s was a dramatic and scary end to week 17, as we roll into a whole new NFL with our Week 18 Picks.

The NFL fans, and fantasy managers were sent into a tizzy with the news of the serious cardiac condition of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin.

First and foremost is the focus that Damar recovers, and gets better-and all signs are starting to point that way. He’s a 24 year old on a $160k/ year salary, so let’s also hope that some of that GoFundMe can be directed towards his recovery.

The NFL took a shocking loss like week like Putin in Ukraine, as it became quickly evident they didn’t have a plan. NFL players have died on the field before, it’s surprising that the league wasn’t able to act quicker and respond stronger when it happened. Maybe they had already gone home for this late game?

The Bills and Bengals are also short a game heading into the playoffs. The maths don’t always add up when you have two teams looking for top seeding, and it also isn’t fair to other teams unless the game is ruled a tie.

Fantasy managers are also in a tizzy, as even our own league has a player with Josh Allen as a deciding factor. How do you rule on a replay, score averages over the season, a fantasy playoff when the final two have their own bias towards the finish.

Ugh, so much to discuss, hear Wade and Ryan’s take on it in the podcast.

Week 18 Picks

Here are Wade and Ryan’s Week 18 Picks for your fantasy, betting and life decisions.
Use them to make a better you. Catch all the picks in the podcast above.

-9 Chiefs (13-3) vs Raiders (6-10)

Kansas City can’t get no respect despite have a 13 and 3 record, but they do once again in the spread this week with a 9 point boom over the Raiders.
The Chiefs haven’t been exactly dominant this season, and their defence gives question as to whether a score heavy team like an ignited Raiders might do to them.

More women would watch the show if Hard Knocks would have featured the Raiders this year, because oh the drama! The ghost of Gruden haunts the halls of Vegas, as Carr’s departure has suddenly led to a last minute gusto of Jared Stitham.
‘Stitty’ gets the gritty this week, as the Raiders have opted to start a bunch of young guns and looking to play a little street ball at home.

Ryan likes the Chiefs to win, but doesn’t buy 9 points for a Chiefs team that might coast once they have the lead.

Wade likes street ball here, as the Raiders might show some moxy and game some late game garbage points to make this a closer game.

Ryan-Chiefs 30 Raiders 26
Wade-Chiefs 31 Raiders 26

Patriots (8-8) vs -7 Bills (12-3) +43.5

Billy B and the boys are primed for a playoff spot, they could just use a win here, a Dolphins, Titans, Steelers, loss…blah blah. A Win over the Bills is the only way that the Patriots can feel safer, but no one feels safe in Buffalo, especially when there is a history of dildos hitting the field.

The Bills will be playing with emotion on Sunday, how much how affect how they play.
With Damar Hamlin in hospital, the Bills might be so pumped at home that they eviscerate the poor Pats by the half.
They also could be so overcome with emotion that they overcompensate and under deliver.
But the Bills are at home, tables will be smashed in the parking lot, dildos will be thrown at the Patriots bench, and the most generous fan base in the NFL, will rock the shit out of that joint.
Damar Hamlin will be proud.

Ryan-Bills 27 Patriots 17
Wade-Bills 33-Patriots 20

Make sure you listen to the full podcast for all of the goodness, and make sure that you like us on social media!

 

Week 17 Review

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What a sad way to end a competitive Sunday-when Buffalo’s Damar Hamlin went down with cardiac issues in a solemn silence to football, as we look at all in our Week 17 Review.

It was a topsy turvy and exciting week in the NFL, with questions of injury attentiveness, fantasy finals, and playoff implications became a little deeper, even a little durper as the Washington FC and Ron Rivera didn’t even realise that their loss knocked them out of playoff contention.
So much for having math guys on the squad.

Damar Hamlin

Football fans and humans alike reacted with shock and pause on Sunday when Buffalo Bills defensive player Damar Hamlin tackled Bengals WR Tee Higgins triggering a cardiac arrest on the field.
The shock to the heart of the 24 year old and the world itself was felt with every passing palpitation on the field beckoning ‘please, get up’ ‘please be okay.’

As of  Jan 4th, Hamlin is still in critical condition, after being resuscitated twice in an effort to save his life and give pause to the game and the way we handle these situations themselves.

We love you Damar Hamlin! Fight this! You’re young, strong, and the Bills Mafia, and the NFL fans of the world got you!

More critical now is the response that the NFL ‘may’ have had on Sunday night.
Indications from the league that the game should ‘go on’ was passed on to several parties, but it was the teams themselves that led the charge to end the game.
The Bengals crossed to Buffalo to offer condolences and to do this another time, which was agreed.
The NFL is family, and we got hurt. Bad.

It was over an hour before the league gave an official response, which begs the question as to whether there should be an emergency playbook for when a real crisis hits the field.
A game sponsored by so much loving military support could tap into its own triage capabilities.

Thoughts, prayers, hugs kisses and more are appreciated.

Donate to the Damar Hamlin GoFundMe Toy Fund here.

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Command Blow

Just when the Washington football club had a chance to qualify for the playoffs, they blew it, and they didn’t even knew it.

Deshaun Watson and the Browns gave glimpses of hope for the 2023 season as he rubbed and tugged himself all over the Washington D.

Carson Wentz became a wordplay of himself as he ‘Wentzed’ himself in a ‘Wentzing’ debacle that made us want to ‘Wentz’.
For a guy who has had to deal with cancer in his life, it’s surprising he hasn’t cut that Wentz out already.

Lions Roar

It was Bears versus Lions in a divisional rematch of the ages, but in this case the dome home Detroiters’ did the deed.

The Bears lost more O linemen to injury as Justin Fields was forced to tap-dance his way to a potential concussion or worse with no protection or viable receivers.
He did have to take a tent trip which is potentially sending less and less pleasurable for youth of the day.
Chicago is looking like the worst of the blurst-so it’s all about that draft pick, or trading it.

Lions roared in the dome, with a commanding display over Chicagos inept defence.
It got a little silly at times, as Detroit ran all over da Bears and Goff started to look like a big QB in a fantasy fiesta for fans in a lopsided 41-10 victory.

Detroit has the Packers at home who are riding high in Rodgers in South America.

Green Goths

The slovenly Packer faithful have emerged from the dours of the earlier season to see Aaron Rodgers good-thumb his way to a sling of victories, after a slap down of the Vikings in Week 17.

From ‘we won’t make the playoffs’ to ‘he’s back’, the cheeseheads have finally ripened after a bit of malaise mould.
With the Lions on the horizon the Pack faithful that they can get get lucky like Daft Punk one more time, as it’s been safety and D scoring the majority of the points.

If the Packers do make the playoffs, they will limp in against a slew of top teams who will be looking to feast on the soft cheese O line, receivers, and melt Aaron Rodgers to the crisp point of brown-there are no more buses to throw people under.

Russ Cooks

The Chiefs took a chin ride from Russ and the Denver D as they irked out a win and gave a menu of how to tomahawk the Kansas defence when push comes to neigh.

When the memes, jibes and jibber jabber comes to play-Russ is cooking as of late, and making the haters eat some words.

Still a loss, but a ten point diss was shaken.

What the Jets

Mike White was white-faced as the New York Jets just seemed to stymie and stall in a must win game.
From a team that was putting dumby scores with a tandem of run and pass, they looked flat against a mediocre Seattle D.

Couldn’t score, didn’t care, didn’t want to be there.
Seattle gets a much needed win to give them a 23.5% chance to make the playoffs, and the Jets got eliminated.
Another rebuilding year then eh?
How many is that?

Thanks for following, reading, listening, and we welcome your input.
Please feel to reach out to us and look forward to a great 2023 season.