NFL in London

National Football League in London

2022 NFL Germany

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.

 

Week 13 Picks Podcast

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It’s December you snowflakes, as we bring you our Week 13 Picks Podcast.

Wade & Ryan have been busy in the toy shed making their predictions for this next slate of games as the ground starts to harden in the league and around us all.

To say it’s been a bizarre season would be an understatement, as legends have faltered, new heroes have emerged, and the Eagles are 10-1. Who would have thunk?

With that in mind, the boys look at the more interesting matchups for Week 13 in the 2022 NFL season, with fun anticipation that anything can happen.

Here’s the link so that you can get the full Week 13 Picks Podcast.

 

Jets (7-4) vs -1.5 Vikings (9-2)  +44.5

The Jets and Vikings have surprised us all with their stellar start to the 2022 season.
Despite being Zach Wilson’d with a solid core, New York has found their way with a flash of Mike White.
Minnesota is shining bright under the light of one Justin Jefferson, while Cousins still shirks like a vampire in the shine of primetime.

New York has brought back Mike to lead the way after a beatdown of the Bears worthy of an Aaron Rodgers belt.
It’s the Jets D that has really kept them in games, and with 7 wins and the Patriots taking one on the chin from the Bills, a W here could start to set some separation.

No one believes in the Vikings, as if their wins are somehow as mythical in tally.
Kirk Cousins can still make some bonehead moves, but with a offence like his, he can pretty much fail to win.

Ryan likes Minnesota to swing their Viking hammer at home, knocking back the White-ness to reality with a display of scoring. He believes that the hype will be enough to beat the Jets.

Wade is backing the Jets here to upstart the shaky Minnesota miracles. The D will shake up the cousin flicking festival, and use their running game to keep themselves competitive.

Ryan- Vikings 29 Jets 24
Wade- Jets 30 Vikings 28

-1 Jaguars (4-8) vs Lions (4-7)  57.5

With a game boasting a 57 plus point total, Las Vegas knows that this match is gone to be a slugfest.
Both teams lack the D to deliver, and they’re both on an upward ascent of winning time.

Trevor Lawrence finally looked like an NFL star, leading his team down the field like a real leader.
Finally. It’s been along time coming, but can he sling together a series of wins after too many years of rebuilding?

Detroit has been hard-knocking their way back to the wins, as Dan Campbell has got his Lions ready to roar in this battle of the big cats.

Ryan likes Detroit here to upset the Jaguars at home, and bite out a chunk from the Jacksonville junkies.

Wade is also big on the Lions, betting that the running game and speedy receiver match-ups will be a sure source of fantasy picks.

Ryan- Lions 30 Jaguars 27
Wade- Lions 33 Jaguars 26

-5.5 Browns (4-7) vs Texans (1-9-1)  +47.5

Let’s talk about the Deshaun in the room shall we?

Buried beneath the big games, the NFL snuck us back the return of disgraced quarterback Deshaun Watson to face the team we wanted to leave.
You don’t mess with Texas.

Whatever the boo’s or shenanigans organised to shame this young man, it’s still an NFL game so show some respect.

Respect is something the Browns don’t have for themselves as they have blundered their way through some pretty easy picks and opportunities over the past few years.
Watson has a chance to at least hobble together a team that has Amari Cooper, and an underused running duo in Chubb and Hunt.

No respect at all for the Texans. Only Rodney Dangerfield could run a team with no respect all the way down.  Davis Mills is gone, so its on Pearce to run the ball up the line.

Ryan likes the Browns to get through the boo’s and get the win, although he thinks that the hometown Texas faithful will rally them to cover.

Wade has the Browns coming together to support Watson, and Cleveland getting a win to save some face.

Ryan- Browns 24 Texans 22
Wade- Browns 27 Texans 21 

Make sure that you check us out on all our social media, and listen to our podcast.

 

 

Week 10 Picks

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Another wild week of the NFL is behind us, as we head into the final European NFL game of the season.
If TB12 is wearing lederhosen, then it’s time for Week 10 Picks.

Wade & Ryan did ok in another tough week 9 of NFL picks, so hopefully they have some great picks for you this week.

If you want to hear ALL of their Week 10 Picks, then make sure that you check out the podcast here, or wherever else you find your podcasts!

 

Bears in London

As part of the home network initiative this season, the Chicago Bears have the rights to put on events and promote the team across the UK.

For Week 10, the Bears are hosting a viewing party in London’s Flat Iron Square, near London Bridge station. For all information, and to see if you can get tickets, just click here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/official-chicago-bears-vs-detroit-lions-watch-party-tickets-452816013887?aff=ebdssbcategorybrowse&keep_tld=1

Amons some of the things on tap for this event includes a wicked viewing party as the Bears host the Detroit Lions at 6pm GMT.

Not only will fans have a chance to win prizes, and Bears goodies, they will also be giving away a trip to Chicago to watch a Bears game courtesy of United airlines.

Not only that, Bears alumni Ruben Brown will be on hand to take pictures, and potentially table slam any Bills mafia who want to talk to him.

Should be a fun event, but expect London prices.

As far as some of the games this week, here are Wade and Ryan’s picks.

Seahawks (6-3) vs -3 Bucs (4-5)  +44.5

The division leading Bucs have 4 ugly wins, so it seems odd that a hobbled TB12 squad would be favoured over a surging Geno Smith and company.
The NFL didn’t do any favours to the Seahawks by having them fly a crazy length on a short week.
Will the Seahawks be too tired to even dip their pretzels on Sunday?

The Seahawks have the advantage when it comes to health and wealth. Their running game is solid, and the O line is finally giving them enough time for Geno to find Lockett and Metcalf.
They have 6 wins when many people figured that this would be a Seattle building year.

The Bucs suck. They have limped through games, struggled to get the run together, but at least Tommy boy isn’t smashing tablets any more.
Why the Bucs are favoured is a big surprise? Who is going to score of them?

Ryan doesn’t like the Seahawks disrespect, and is tipping them to upset the Bucs in their German home game.

Wade agrees, and thinks that Geno and Kenneth Walker will pip Tampa Bay in a close, low-scoring game.

Ryan-Seahawks 24 Bucs 20
Wade-Seahawks 23 Bucs 20

Lions (2-6) vs -3 Bears (3-5)  +48.5

The Lions are fresh off a win, after beating Aaron Rodgers and the slumping Packers at home.
While Hard Knocks may have excited fans at their prospect at the start of the season, woes are starting to pile up on Dan Campbell and Detroit.

The Bears are coming off an exciting loss, which sounds weird. Yes, they lost to the Cowboys last week, but Bears fans saw something they haven’t seen in a while…points be scored.
Justin Fields lit up the grass, setting QB records Chicago hasn’t seen in ages.

Ryan is Bearing down on Chicago in this one, as he doesn’t see the Lions being able to shoot out against Fields.

Bears fan Wade is happy that they are favoured over the divisional Lions, but still thinks that Detroit has the tools to keep it close at Soldier Field.

Ryan-Bears 27 Lions 20
Wade-Bears 24 Lions 23

Vikings (7-1) vs -3.5 Bills (6-2)  +44

Finally a match-up between two winning teams, but will they have their rosters in tack to make this one a shootout?

The Vikings are fresh off a win, and bolstered by trading TJ Hockenson in to help them with some muscle and yardage. Dalvin Cook continues to be a threat, while Kirk Cousins is feeling fine as his team cruises to an unchallenged domination of the NFC North.

Hello Josh? Are you there? Bills fans saw worry last week as Josh Allen went down to injury, as the Bills took one on the chin from the Jets.
Can the Bills rally at home to get a big W, and stop a two game losing skid?

Ryan likes his Bills to win in a tight one. The crowd could be the deciding factor here, as it looks to be a blustery one in Buffalo.

Wade too likes the Bills, but will be watching the injury status. He thinks that Case Keenum can also get the job done, and might be a sneaky fantasy add.

Ryan-Bills 23 Vikings 20
Wade-Bills 27 Vikings 23

That’s it for our week 10 picks! Hope you make some money this weekend.

 

 

Skoll London

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What a first day of the NFL in London, as the Minnesota Vikings pipped the New Orleans Saints just prior to OT to get their third London victory.
The hobbled down Saints made their best efforts, but couldn’t hold the Vikes off in the end, as it was a Skoll London victory.

Despite the slow start, both teams came alive in the second half, adding 33 points between them, and electrifying the London hometown crowd.

How did you enjoy the game between the Saints and Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

Here are a few things we did notice that maybe you did, and some of the folks at home sure did.

Big Smoke

Pyrotechnics before kickoff is a rookie mistake, as the Tottenham crew soon found out with thick black smoke enveloping the centre of the field.

US TV announcers were quick to inform viewers at home that the picture might look dark and  cloudy not because it’s London, but because all those fireworks were just set off and it’s going to take a while to clear.

Be interesting to see if they let off that many fireworks prior to the Giants and Packers.

Fan Noise

Yes, it’s a London game, and yes, the fans comprise the whole league, not just the two teams playing.

It’s always interesting to get the perspective of US based fans who couldn’t believe how quiet it was, whereas many UK fans were bloody hoarse today from screaming all day.

Sure, you don’t get people screaming as hard at third down conversions, but they’re just happy to be at the game.

It’s not as loud as an American game, and that’s ok.

London Prices

‘Welcome to London, three pints will be £20.70.’

For anyone who doesn’t live in London, getting a pint in the capital sometimes requires a guarantor to make sure you can afford the debt.

With prices for regular pints hitting £6.90 at the stadium, many fans found it easier to quaff as many as they could before hand, or pop into the Tesco for a cheeky 4 pack.

Thanks to the pond taking a massive dump earlier in the week, American tourists must have felt that they hit the lottery with an almost par exchange rate.

Please-spend your money Yankee Doodle Dandies! We have gas bills to pay this winter.

Transit Strike

Despite the big bad warnings from the RMT and transit unions, travel on Sunday wasn’t as bad as could be expected.

Londoners bemoan the frequency of our transit woes, and it might seem malarky to foreigners, until you get here and wonder ‘how the heck do I get home.’

Thankfully fans were aware that Saturday and early Sunday would be nonsense on national rail, and made plans to get to the stadium early.

Hey guess what? There’s another strike this weekend, and this one could be even more of a doozy!

Sounds lovely! Travel smart and plan ahead.

NFL on Southbank

Well that’s pretty nifty neat-o huh?

For the first time, the NFLUK has brought the fan experience to the banks of the river Thames, with the adjustment to Southbank from Regent Street.
The result is a more fresh and invigorating stroll through the NFL.

While Westminster was nice to play host to the NFL for a few decades, the rot of Soho and surrounding area made it feel like it was stuck on the street like a piece of gum, and that the stores all secretly hated everyone in jerseys who would never shop in their stores.

It’s a whole different vibe now, make sure that you head down to Southbank and check out all of the activities that they have on this week as well.

Giants vs Packers

We have another game here in London this week!

More info to follow on all the exciting things to do in London this week!

 

 

Week 2 Picks

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What a week that was in the NFL!

The Saints survive a sweaty one in Hot-lanta, The Fins toss around the Pats, Baker gets baked at home, and the Bears toss around the 49ers for fun.

If you thought Week 1 in the NFL was a tasty treat, wait til you see what the boys have cooked up for you in their Week 2 Picks!

Get all the info in lustrous form, by listening to our Week 2 Picks Podcast!

Among some of the games that the boys look at this week for your betting pleasure, includes:

Dolphins (1-0) vs Ravens (1-0) -3.5 +43.5

Miami and Tua made short work (get it?) of the Patriots last week, while Baltimore took out the Flacco trash quite easily in a beat down of the Jets.
Are the Ravens ready to roll over the fish on Sunday?
Lacking the sweaty balls heat of south Florida, the forecast for Sunday is a wet one, which could lead to more runs than passing.
Ryan likes Lamar and the boys to put Tua and co. on the shelf, as they chase win number two in week 2.
Wade thinks that the Dolphins will prove too much for Baltimore’s D, and that they will struggle to contain the slew of receivers ready to rock.
Ryan-Ravens 27 Dolphins 23
Wade-Dolphins 24 Ravens 21

Washington (1-0) vs Lions (0-1) -1.5 +45.5

Despite being fuelled by 300 litres of caffeine on Sunday, the Lions were unable to make it rain against Jalen Hurts and the Eagles.
This week the get Carson Wentz and the Commies, as the Lions head home to the dome.
Can Detroit motor boat this lack lustre Washington squad?
Ryan thinks that is a sweet payback game for Dan Campbell, to trash Dan Snyders’ team. With such a loaded squad, how can the Lions lose?
Wade agrees that Washington got lucky with some of the Jag-off mistakes last Sunday, and that Detroit has the superior squad to get the W on Sunday.
He also predicts a bucketload of points to make your fantasy heave.
Ryan-Lions 27 Washington 21
Wade-Lions 33 Washington 30

Panthers (0-1) vs Giants (1-0) -2 +43.5

What the heck-a-money? The Giants are favoured in a game? Stop the presses.
Baker and the Panthers had a tough spot last week, facing his former team in his first game, that saw his old boys pretty much call every play he ran.
Things should be a bit easier this week, not having to face that Browns D again.
Wade is all over the Panthers this week, as the numbers in Week 1 don’t really bely the truth.
Look for Baker and Robbie A to light it up, with Christian grabbing at least 1 TD with this massive legs.
The Giants will not be able to compete.
Ryan agrees-and he thinks that New York being favoured with 1 win, is a sign of troubling times.
Some good fantasy value in this game as well.
Ryan-Panthers 20 Giants 17
Wade-Panthers 24 Giants 20

Falcons (0-1) vs LA Rams (0-1) -10.5 +43.5

The defending SuperBowl champs are crying in their rings, after taking a beating from the Buffalo Bills in week 1.
Limp, inept, and ineffective, and those are just the side effects of some of the American medication advertised!
Atlanta kept it close in a Mariota Moment game, which saw the eventually fall to Jameis and the sloppy D. This isn’t a sluggish Saints D that the Falcons are facing this week however, it’s a very angry, Super Bowl defending team.
Ryan likes the Rams to whoop the Falcons around on Sunday, with Allen Robinson finally paying off some fantasy points for some of his fans.
He doesn’t think that the Rams will be that dominant, and likes Mariota and Patterson to bring the points.
Wade too likes the Rams to win, and thinks that this 10 point spread is easy-peasy for a vengeful team.
LA lacked that killer spirit in week 1, and they will be uber focused this week against a sad sack bird team.
Yes, the Rams will win-and they won’t struggle
Ryan-Rams 30 Falcons 24
Wade-Rams 28 Falcons 10
That’s it for our Week 2 picks, let us know how you did.
Another great podcast up in a few days, enjoy week 2!