NFL in London

National Football League in London

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AFC East Peek

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August is in the air folks, as we excitedly present to you the AFC East Peek podcast to celebrate!

Wade and Ryan are ready for the season to begin, and have even taken the time to do some research for this episode (kidding!)

So make sure that you find a comfy chair, a beverage, and take a sip at the latest episode right here:

Among some of the things that the guys talk about in this episode includes:

Bunged Bengals

Poor Joe Burrow is injured again, and this time the prognosis is to finally take some much needed time off. But a calf injury is a whole new kind of horse, as these often recur due to how deep they can go.
Joe has been told by coaches and a very vocal Jamar Chase that it’s time to take a breather until he is fully healed.
With the Bengals due to play the Ravens and Browns within the first two weeks of the season, things could get tricky as they will need JB to be back in time so as not to drop two in the division.
All eyes on Cincy this year, as they have the Chiefs directly in their sights.

Trading Places

The often overlooked, and never really producing in terms of fantasy, N’Keal Harry is off from Boston, and on his way to Minnesota.
Despite making much hype when he was drafted, Harry has struggled in New England, and the only threat he displays is to fantasy owners who make the mistake of trying to play him.
Kareem Hunt is rumoured to be making a trip to New Orleans, as the Saints look to fill the three week hole left by Alvin Kamara for his Vegas fight.
Hunt would definitely add a new level of excitement to the Derek Carr offense.

DAZN Drama

Streaming giant DAZN have finally taken over the mantle of Gamepass stewardship this year, and judging by the feedback we have received, it isn’t going well thus far for some.
Several years ago, we were remonstrated by the NFLUK for being too harsh on Gamepass, when it continually crashed every week, costing us thousands.
It’s a whole new company though, as Italian stumps Deltatre no longer hold the rights, with a US sports company running it now. Touchdown!
While most complaints centre on billing and communication, no one really has an issue with streaming quality or resolution. Which is really good, because that’s what we all want!
It’s still early days, but given the track record of DAZN, it seems likely that Gamepass will be fine once the season kicks off.
Given the communication we have experienced with DAZN as well, they seem to be on top of things, and ready to kickoff the season.
If we’re wrong, let us know.

AFC Sneak Peek

Ryan and Wade also include a little preview in this episode, giving their prediction of how they think that they AFC will end up in the standings.
Bills fan Ryan unsurprisingly has Buffalo to top the division, which he has done for the past decade or so. Luckily, the Patriots aren’t as dominant as they once were, and both guys have the Pats to finish in the basement of the division.
But what about the NY Jets? Won’t Aaron Rodgers save us all from football boredom?
Will Tua crack his noggin again and send him on a Humpty Dumpty trip to the offseason?
Just have a listen to the podcast, and you can hear it all!
We will have more divisional preview podcasts coming up in the next episodes.
Watch this space for more!

NFL Top 100

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It’s the offseason still, which means fans are obsessing over data as their Fantasy Draft looms, and with the NFL Top 100 list being released by the NFL Network this week, fans and players are up in a tizzy.

This annual list compiled by the NFL is always good for motivating players, as professional athletes are fuelled by ego, so telling someone that they are ranked ’89th’ when they feel like they should be ‘#1’ is quite common.

We’re not going to look at the whole list in this post, instead focusing on the Top 10 players provided by the NFL

We’ll look at the top 10 ranked players by the NFL Network for the 2023 season, and decide if we agree or disagree, and slot in the person we think should be there. Sound good?

NFL Top 10

1. Patrick Mahomes-AGREE

Patrick Mahomes is our top player for 2023, after another commanding performance and Super Bowl in 2022. Mahomes is the best playmaker in the league, whether it’s consistently finding Travis Kelce ANYWHERE on the field, to his amazing baseball and side throws. In 2022 the NFL world claimed that Joe Burrow was going to win it all, but then came Mahomes and set the records straight.

2. Josh Allen-DISAGREE

Josh Allen is a great QB, but if 2022 was any indication, there is still a lot to be done in Buffalo. Allen has a tendency to force the ball down the field on long attempts, which made the Bills either playing catch-up, of Josh getting picked. With all the drama going on in Buffalo, and changes to the AFC East, maybe the Bills time has passed.

Our #2-Joe Burrow

3. Joe Burrow-DISAGREE

We had Joe Burrow in second place to Mahomes, after two solid years of playoff contention. Burrow has had to contend with depleted O-lines, injuries to his wide-receivers, and to himself, but still this LSU boy continues to deliver competitive performances. The Bengals have made the changes to support Burrow this season, and the only way is up!

Our #3-Tyreek Hill

4. Nick Bosa-DISAGREE

Nick Bosa is a beast, and has an amazing impact on pushing the 49ers D into the directions that they need to go. But number 4 ranked player in the NFL? One could argue that TJ Watt (when healthy) has more of a dramatic effect on D in changing game tempo.
Bosa is good, but maybe not that good.

Our #4 Travis Kelce

5. Myles Garrett-DISAGREE

Garret is a monster in the trenches, and can single-handedly change a game, combined with the whole Browns D, but number 5 is pretty high for a guy who has had some up and down seasons.
This good be a pivotal year for Myles, especially if Deshaun finally comes into gear.

Our #5-Justin Jefferson

6. Travis Kelce-DISAGREE

When you look at the TE stats, and how much of an impact player Kelce is, it is truly amazing. Probably the best TE to play the game, Kelce continues to deliver across the middle of the field, shaking of tiny defenders with ease.
The tandem of Mahomes-Kelce is the most consistent point-scoring machine in the NFL.
Hard to see if slowing down in 2023.

Our #6-Josh Allen

7. Justin Jefferson-DISAGREE

JJ is the top wide receiver in the NFL right now, and is top of the list in most fantasy drafts for 2023. It’s a shame that he has Kirk Cousins as a QB, but the Vikings still look like top candidates for the NFC North title. Jefferson is a beast, that’s why we had him earlier up at #5.

Our #7-Nick Bosa

8-Micah Parsons-AGREE

Micah Parsons IS the Dallas D, becoming one of the best edge rushers in the NFL. While most people shudder at the thought of watching the Cowboys play, seeing Micah on the field is an absolute delight.
Dallas has a lot to do this season if they want to pip the mighty Eagles, but Parsons will be one of the keys to shut down D.

9-Aaron Donald-DISAGREE

Oh the poor Rams. They spent to buy a Super Bowl, and now they are stuck with some thing, and often injured talent. Donald is 32 years old and missed 5 games to injury in 2022, so it’s surprising that the NFL Network ranked him so highly on this list.

Our #9-Chris Jones

10-Trent Williams-DISAGREE

There is no denying that Trent Williams is the best left tackle in the league, and definitely belongs in the top 15, but top 10 might be a stretch. There are a lot of pieces to the San Francisco D, and Williams is deffo a big part of it.

Our #10-TJ Watt

That’s it for review of the NFL Top 100 put out by the NFL Network. Who do you think should be in the top 10?

 

 

Bear Down

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We swapped out one Ryan for another, on this special Bear Down podcast!

Bear Down

Usually our podcast is bolstered by a Bills and a Bears fan, but with Ryan Cull still on vacay with the fam-jam, we’ve brought in our friend, and Bears fan Ryan Andrews on this one. It feels all NFC North!

To listen to the latest edition of the podcast, just click here and let your worries wash away in this engaging new edition.

Among some of the things Ryan and Wade talk about in this one includes:

Where the Bears

With two Bears fans on, the big elephant in the room needs to be addressed: ‘Are the Bears going to stay in Chicago proper?’

Ryan is from Illinois, so he has his own thoughts on Soldier Field, as well as the potential of moving the team up to Arlington Heights where they are looking for some state help in financing.

How long will it take to put this whole thing together anyhow?

Offseason Idiocy

As far as off-season arrests have been, this has been one of the quieter years than past. Have young NFL players stopped doing stupid things? Have mobile phones made it tougher to be clean in the offseason? Or are young players finally fearful of losing a career path?
Kinda, sorta.

Vikings rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison pulled a bonehead move this week, when he was caught speeding over 140 mph in a 50 zone. Not so bright. Luckily, no one was injured, but still a stupid move for someone trying to make a team impact this season. Hopefully the veterans in the locker room are relentless to Jordan.

Topping this stunt isn’t hard if you’re Jaguars player Chris Claybrooks, who has been arrested on domestic violence charges for the second time in four months.
It’s doubtful that Jacksonville will want to hang on to this liability with anger management issues.
Hopefully he can get the help he needs, but it won’t be in the NFL.

Comm and Go

Dan Synder is finally out, as the Washington Commanders sale has finally been approved to billionaire Josh Harris.
Most in the league are happy to see Snyder go, after tanking a venerable franchise through shadiness and a ‘hands on’ approach to coaching, despite having no training there.

For many fans, comes the real question. ‘are you going to change the team name again?’
While some harken for a return to the classic ‘Washington Football Team’, others are pushing for a name that addresses reparations (a buzzword in America these days).

However it goes, Washington still has a lot of rebuilding to do. With one of the worst stadiums in the NFL, declining numbers, and the lack of a real fan draw could see them fall back into a purgatory of trying to fight the NFC East, while battling themselves.

Giant Fail?

The NY Giants are currently dealing with the Saquon situation which is quickly spiralling out of control.

To mitigate the damage, and offer a little roster hope, the Giants signed Cole ‘anti-vax’ Beasley, and often cut running back James Robinson.
Robinson was the belle of the Jaguars ball only a few years ago, that has seen him slip and slide around the AFC East.
As for Beasley, he’s just there to slop up from the injuries.

Madden 24

Madden is back, so warm up you thumbs and prepare to get whooped online by some 10 year old in his basement.

Of course the big thing about Madden these days is ego, as players toss the toys from the pram as soon as they don’t secure that sweet 99 rating.

The new Madden has been released, and only a few are elite members of that 99 club. So congrats Patrick Mahomes, and Justin Jefferson, you deserve it.

We’ll also have more NFL fantasy news coming up in the next few weeks, so watch this space!

Barrel Scraping

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July is the last month of ‘NO NFL’ until March 2024! All this and more silly news in our latest Barrel Scraping podcast from Wade and Ryan.

Slow News

It’s July, so we’re all hoping for any little nugget of NFL news, from trades, moves to arrests, and even more off-season arrests. More on that later.

We’re always trying to put together a little feast of a podcast for you every episode, and since this is episode 250 of our NFL in London podcast, we tried not to disappoint here.

Here’s a link to the podcast so that you can listen in yourselves.

Among some of the other news that the guys talk about in this podcast includes:

USFL Finale

Did anyone watch the thrilling finale of the USFL this year? Us neither.
But it did turn into a big thrill for the Birmingham Stallions, who notched up back-to-back championships in their trophy hoist.
Given the amount of teams in the USFL (8), it’s not that hard to repeat as you would think.
Congrats to QB Alex McGough, who will once again find himself in the gauntlet of NFL tryouts before returning to the USFL next season.

The Match

‘The Match’ is a US tv series in which pro athletes  & celebs battle each other in a novelty golf-off.
Usually it features some big veterans or top talkers, but this year we got Kelce, Mahomes, and a couple of NBA jerks.
Not as thrilling in this 12 hole round, but at least it featured some modicum of NFL, so always worth watching if not just for Patrick’s Kermit like peeping throughout.

Swimming with Chiefs

Brittney Mahomes was also in hot water this week, after she posted pictures of herself on Insta swimming with dolphins in the tropics.
Animal lovers know that captive dolphins are a touchy issue, especially for someone who needs to display a bit of social foresight.
Worst of all were the rumours that Jackson Mahomes sexually assaulted the dolphin later.

Super Soaker

The Super Bowl still has some lingering blame as to the field conditions, and the NFL is finally ready to pass judgment.
It was the Eagles fault, they should have changed shoes.
While we can all remember how wet and wild the conditions were, with the Philly D struggling to gain traction on the soggy turf. But should they have changed shoes?
It’s all he said, they said at this point.
You lost.

ESPN on Fire

Sorry, they have been firing. Loads of top talent at the House of Mouse are gone, which won’t mean much for UK NFL fans who rarely see these pundits. For US viewers it’s signs of the times that they are moving on from pricey veterans, and throwing cash at new talent, as well as Pat McAfee.
Maybe he can finally afford to buy a shirt.

Jonesy

Jerry Jones is also dipping his story into the media, after reportedly seeking upwards of $50 million for the rights to his video life story.
Word on the media streets is that Netflix has snapped it up, and will look to rebound from all the horrible woke shows they invested in, and get back to the most watched program on the planet.
Even if it is Jerry Jones.
Think how much the Tom Brady story would get.

Kap’r

Colin Kaepernick wants to let us all know that he is still ready to get that NFL call, at the ripe young age of 35. Despite not playing in a decade, and living more off the meme’s of life, Colin is ready to give it another shot.
How about we team him up with Antonio Brown and make a new reality series? ‘AB & KP on the Road’. We’d all watch it.
Good news for Colin ahead is that he will be the ‘face’ of a new 7 on 7  NFL game coming to most devices this fall. He can finally play again, if only in a Meta way.

London Games

We will have more news on our London game party tickets as well soon.
Watch this space.
We will also be looking for people to join a Fantasy League this year with us! Get in touch if you want to play.

Mid June News

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The NFL off season continues to trudge on with the speed of cold molasses, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have some exciting Mid June News for you!
Ok, exciting might be a bit much, but we have news!

NFL Passport Tour

Have you heard about the NFL Passport Tour making its way to Europe next week? Either did we, but some US news organisations are reporting on it.

Here is where we first learned about it.
https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/2023/06/13/michael-gallup-player-passport-tour/

Apparently, the NFL will be sending 8 players to the UK and Germany to do a press the flesh session with fans and media in those locations.

Players that have been slated to arrive include: Michael Gallup; Clyde-Edwards Helaire, Kevin Byard, Gabe Davis and a few more, but again, details have been a bit sketchy.

Give that MLB will be in London this week. don’t be surprised if you see them pop into some of the events or the games that are lined up next weekend.

TB12 Me

Tommy is finally an owner, and Vegas fans are clamouring for ‘We Want Tommy’, as TB12 continues to needle at the should of Jimmy G.

While the prospect of Tom Brady suiting up again for the Raiders is very remote, that doesn’t stop fans from wishing, hoping and dreaming that he’ll slide down from the upper decks, onto the field in full uniform and score three times with only 30 seconds to spare.

Keep dreaming.

Wanna Bet

The NFL is starting to crack down on gambling players like Netflix smashes password sharers.

Turns out if you’re sitting in a team facility, you CAN’T actually wager on your team, another team, Spelling Bee’s or the like, as it’s against team policy.

With Detroit getting burned heavily this year for not enforcing the rules, the really big question is ‘Who is the $8 Million Dollar Man’?
You know, the player who admitted to spending over $8mil last season betting on games?

That right there is a real problem, because it’s not like he was dropping change he found on his car seat on a righteous cause.
That’s what we call a ‘gambling problem.’

Expect more players to have the house come crashing down on them as the season continues.

Jacked Jones

Jack Jones might sound like a brand for fresh threads, but it’s also the name of a Patriots player found with a couple of nasty old handguns last week.

Jones placed two loaded guns with extended clip delivery rounds in his bag prior to boarding a flight from Boston to Arizona, sending off all kinds of alarm bells.

Seriously, two loaded firearms on an afternoon flight? You were on Twitter last month chastising Ja Morant for his gun behaviour, and now you do the same thing?

Supplemental Draft

‘The Supplemental Draft’ sounds like a side effect from one of those American weight loss drugs, or one of those Drafts that is held to help the wounded egos of those not previously picked. Sort of.

The idea behind a SD is that it gives players who might have fallen between the college cracks, or had eligibility issues to get a fresh start with a team.
There hasn’t been one held since 2019, and given the increasing amount of injuries each year, you can see why the NFL wants to get as many healthy bodies as possible.

This Draft is set up differently that the traditional one, giving non-playoff teams the chance to access a new host of players. (Remember Josh Gordon?)

The Supplemental Draft will be held in July, which means the regular season is only weeks away!

MLB in London

Ok, so it isn’t the NFL, but Major League Baseball is coming to London this week.

MLB Europe is throwing out all the balls, as they prepare to host a weekend of games at London’s Olympic Park between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.

To put that into football terms, it would be like if Leicester player Leeds this year. (wait, weren’t they both relegated??)

While the games might not feature two teams in contention, it should be a hoot as the league takes over Trafalgar Square for a few days of baseball fun.

If you’re looking to get that feeling of Americana, bring the family down to experience the batting cages, meeting players, and of course the FOOD!

Here’s more info for you!

https://www.mlb.com/international/events/london-series

That’s it for our Mid June News! Make sure you have a listen to our latest podcast!