NFL in London

National Football League in London

Falcons in London 2021

London Hosts Two-2021 NFL Games

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Wee ha!
The NFL is coming back to London, and it looks like we are getting not ONE, but TWO matches, as it was announced London is to host two, 2021 NFL games.

So who is coming, when, and how can you get tickets?
We’ll have all that information for you shortly!

Atlanta Falcons

It was announced earlier this year that by Falcons own Arthur ‘Blank-itty-Blank’, that the birds would be perching at Tottenham stadium for a 2021 game.
While we don’t know WHO that they are to play, there are certain clues that the NFL has dropped to allow us to figure out which team might be playing here.

We know that their opponent MUST come from the opposing conference, which means that Atlanta would be facing an AFC team.
After looking at the schedules, attendance figures, past London schedule and potential COVID situation, we determined that their opponent would be the New England Patriots.
We still believe that they will be the team that the Falcons play.

The NFL also likes to take advantage of the week long gap during the time changes between Europe and North America.
With only a scant 4 hours between us, it makes game viewing a little easier on the West Coast, so that fans don’t have to get up at 3am to watch the game.
This makes the last weekends of October the most logical choices for London games.

We had originally thought that with one game, the NFLUK would want to balance the game out during the month.
With the news that Jacksonville would also be coming to the UK, we pushed that Sunday back a week, so that one of the games falls over the time change gap which occurs on Sunday October 31st, which will most likely be a game date.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville announced this week that they would also be returning to London in 2021 for ONE NFL regular season game.
With an expanded 17 game season, and a roster buoyed by young and excitement, the Jags could be an interesting game to watch.

Trevor Lawrence will certainly bring the hype train to London, along with his cast of young, plucky stars who probably have never crossed the ocean on a flight.

As previously mentioned, the NFL International games are comprised of two teams from different conferences.
The Jaguars have 8 home games at TIAA Bank Field this season, and the London game is considered one of their home games.
Looking at Jacksonville’s home schedule we can see that they have 6 matches against AFC rivals (Titans, Colts, Texans, Bills, Dolphins, and Broncos), with 2 NFC games against the Cardinals and 49ers.
Given schedule, team priority, travel time, and local newspapers, we believe that the 2021 Jacksonville opponent will be…the Arizona Cardinals.

The NFL has a history of scheduling these international games back to back, so it makes sense that this game will be on continuous weekends.
This allows them to put all the banners across London, keep their staging facilities up, as well as package the games into a marketable, big event.
Given this, the weekends of Sunday the 24th and Sunday the 31st most likely.

Covidity

What’s the deal with Covid? Will visitors need a vaccine? Will there be passports of health? Can Americans visit?
No idea.
All of this will be a wait and see from the UK government.
For those of you from abroad, the UK is due to open to ‘normalcy’ by the end of June 2021.
Should this hold, and we stay clean and healthy, we SHOULD be able to host the games without issues.
Given the nature of the virus, it is unlikely that Tottenham stadium will be at full capacity, but it should be quite full of fans.
Again, this will take a while to figure out.

The whole schedule is released on Wednesday May 12th, at 8pm EST.
Once it’s released we will know a bigger picture, as well as how close we were to picking the right teams and dates.

Are you ready for some NFL in London?

Draft Review

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The 2021 NFL Draft is now done and dusted…on with the season!

Ok, so the season is still a summer away, but at least we have this to distract us until then.
Wade & Ryan look at the whole dang draft, (ok-the good bits) in our 2021 Draft Review podcast.

After a year of crappy Covid, it was nice to reach some level or normalcy once again.
Yes, fans were masked and distanced…but they could boo Roger Goodell again!
Say what you will about RG, but his playfulness with the fans on his likeability is refreshing.
He seems to even relish in it year on year.
Keep it up Rog, we need a heel these days.

(but we’ll get to Aaron Rodgers soon)

In terms of winners of the 2021 NFL Draft, the guys will look at all the teams, but also focus on what teams did to enhance their whole squad.
Our 2021 NFL Draft Review winners are:

  1. Chicago Bears

    The Bears came out on top of a draft? Is this some feverish dream? In some sort of odd Tetris scenario, Justin Fields fell to the Bears in an opportunity.
    While the Broncos could have grabbed Fields, they allowed the Bears to move up to swap with the Giants and snag this Ohio State great.
    Add to this a solid OT, and the Bears were able to make something out of nothing.
    Now…what will they do with it.

  2. Miami Dolphins

    Too gets his Waddle, as well as a whole host of talent. Miami is looking to add to a surprising 2020 team by adding more depth in D and the offensive weapons.
    The Dolphins got sweet heat for that pre-Draft trade with the 49ers and Eagles.
    Miami made enough moves to make the AFC East interesting…now it’s only up to Tua.

  3. Cleveland Browns

    The Browns have added more danger to their 2021 squad in their vision for a shot at the AFC title this year. With 8 picks, Cleveland immediately spent 5 of those on D, all of whom could feasibly start this year.
    Where Cleveland really shone was some offensive line steals early on.
    James Hudson will give Baker plenty of protection…and time.

  4. NY Jets

    Will the Jets squander all of their picks only to end up back here in a few years? Sadly, it’s possible. The Jets have the control and responsibility of a crack-head when it comes to their draft picks.
    They make them, break them, then line up again at the trough complaining that they ‘didn’t get a good one.’
    Even a petulant child should only be given so many toys.
    With Adam Gase managing a local Wendy’s, it should give the Jets plenty of inspiration.

  5. LA Chargers

    Are you ready for some support Justin Herbert? The Chargers made some great moves to not only protect Herbert, but to also give him a bit of mustard on D.
    LAC fizzled out on injuries as the season drew on, so it’s good that they found some fresh meat to give Herbert some time downfield.
    With Lynn out, the Chargers could make a hefty push for the AFC playoffs this season.

Have a laugh and a listen to this weeks 2021 Draft Review podcast. Please feel free to share, care and listen in your underwear.

The NFL schedule is released on May 12th, so we should have a better idea of who is coming to London this season.

Wild Draft Predictions

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Life is like a box of chocolates.
Either it gets picked apart by your family, gives you diabetes, or is accidentally left in a car and melts into a goopy puddle.
The point being, you can never be too sure. 

Every year, the NFL Draft hits us with someone wild and wacky-and this year could be no different.
What kind of insane in the membrane trades, moves and hustles could happen in Cleveland this year?
That’s why we have our 2021 Wild Draft Predictions. 

In the NFL the crazier…the more entertaining. 

Pundits and prognosticators have all pulled their polls to make their sure thing bets.
But are they sure things?
Trevor Lawrence is first out and off to the Jaguars? Maybe.
https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/nfl/draft-odds/
Kyle Pitts can play every position. Really?
The Bears will screw up the draft…ok, that’s possible. 

To honour the wackiness that is the NFL Draft, we have tallied a bunch of ‘out there’ predictions for the 2021 NFL Draft.
From fades to trades, bold calls to wild conjecture….we have it all for you.

So let’s get in with some of the most out there NFL predictions to cover our betting butts. 

1. Trevor Lawrence to the CFL

Can you smell what the Rock is cooking? Well the NFL couldn’t.
After a blockbuster move to secure the XFL and partner it with the CFL, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson makes his biggest move by convincing Trevor Lawrence to eschew the NFL and head north young man.
Lawrence heads to Saskatchewan to train with the Roughriders, before taking over his own franchise the Newfoundland Nuggets. 

2. Justin Fields Forever

Rumours began to circulate that something was up with Justin Fields, and that perhaps he wasn’t what or whom he appeared to be.
On Draft Day that becomes apparent when the Zoom camera pans in on Fields and his family, only to reveal Colin Kaepernick.
As it turns out, Colin has kidnapped Fields and his family for one last shot at greatness.
Despite numerous blood transfusions and bone grafts Kaep once again fails to deliver for his team.
Fields is eventually released by Colin and the captors, but once again-the damage is already done. 

3. Manziel Mania

The NFL Draft is in Cleveland?
Johnny Manziel is ‘Mr Cleveland’!
Manziel decides to take his shot at crashing the 2021 NFL Draft to promote his new vaccine ‘Johnny Football’, aptly named as it is made from rendered pigskin.
To promote the event, Manziel hires idiot/dunce Jake Paul to deliver the vaccines to people by ‘punching it in their face.’
Paul uses the platform to announce his upcoming fight against the all of the patients in a children’s hospital.
If the children can beat him, he will give them a ‘shout-out’.

4. Jets get an 8 Ball

After years of bad draft picks, the New York Jets have let it slip that they have a new tool for drafting this year…the Magic 8 Ball.
Instead of using sports science, the Jets are opting to let magic be their guide to post season glory.
New head coach Robert Saleh will franticly shake the ball prior to each round to find their ‘yes’ ‘no’ and ‘maybe’s for 2021.
Unfortunately for Saleh, owner Woody Johnson likes the ‘pluck’ of the 8 ball and decides to fire all of his coaching staff to let it coach the Jets in 2022.
They make it to the AFC final. 

5. Ballin’ Bezos

Jeff Bezos is rolling in it.
From the billions he made from selling off Amazon shares, to his neighbours wife who he took just because he could…everything is rolling up JB!
Bezos goes full baller this NFL Draft when he rolls in without a team and announcing ‘I’m not leaving here without my own team.’
Jaws drop, wallets are rummaged and Bezos walks out with not one, but 2 NFL teams. 

Amazonian Jeff not only snags the Chargers for his trophy case, but also snags the Buffalo Bills ‘in case he wants wings.’
As he leaves, Bezos ‘makes it rain’ dolla bills, with images of Usher on every bill. 

Those are our bold predictions for the 2021 NFL Draft, what are yours?
Make sure you listen to our post Draft podcast this week to see how close we all were.

2021 Draft Preview

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With the NFL Draft only days away, the excitement and anticipation brings with it numerous questions.
Will Trevor Lawrence still be Jagging his way to Florida?
Are there enough quarterbacks to go around?
What kid of mischief and mayhem do the Patriots have planned?

We will take a look at these and many more in our NFL Draft Preview Podcast.
In this episode, Wade McElwain & Ryan Cull are joined by Chapman Maddox, a diehard Falcons fan, and good friend of NFL in London.

Everyone and their uncle has their thoughts on who should take whom in the NFL Draft this year.
With many teams desperate for a new franchise quarterback to lead them out of the mediocre standings, it’s easy to forget that one man doth not makeith’ the team.
Sam Darnold couldn’t save the Jets, Johnny Manziel bust out of 3 leagues, and let’s not even talk about Mitchell Trubisky.

In this NFL Draft Preview podcast, the guys go through the first round of the draft and make their predictions for the choices and needs for each team.
Obviously the draft is going to have some drama worthy enough for TMZ, so our pundits have focused on the picks rather than the moves.
Someone is going to trade up, someone already has some potential trades slotted up, and all of us will be ‘wowwed’ when a team makes a truly bone headed call. (looking at you Bears).

The podcast clocks in at just over an hour, so make sure you put on your comfy pants and settle in with a cup of happy to get you in that zone.
We will have more draft coverage throughout the week, but let this podcast ease you on down the NFL Draft road.

Among some of the hot topics that Wade, Ryan and Chapman touch on in this podcast includes:

Trevor Lawrence

Sure, TL will be going number one to the Jaguars, but what are we missing?
While Ryan and Chapman gush over the flowing locks of Lawrence and his date with NFL destiny, Wade is a bit more skeptical and thinks he will be the next ‘Jimmy Garoppolo’ of the league. Too many injuries and too much hype.
The guys all agree that Trevor will be hitting the Jags this season, and hopefully we will see him in action sometime in London soon.

J-E-T-uggh

The Jets have proven what not to do with top NFL picks. They have ridden the pines of the league for the past few years, adding more laughing stock to the soup of their woes.
New coach, new team, new focus…who dis?
It’s one thing to take new talent from the NCAA, it’s another to develop and encourage it.
Wade, Ryan and Chapman all think that the Jets will scoop up Zach Wilson at number 2.
Where he is in 3 years is anyone’s guess.

Poisoned Fields

It wouldn’t be a draft without drama, and this week we had plenty of that.
It turns out that Justin Fields might have an electrical condition (?), a heart problem (?), something that could ruin his career (?).
NFL fans know that when rumours of ineptitude surface prior to something big, the Patriots must be involved.
Pissing on a prospect for the good of the empire is a total Belichick move.
The guys all have Justin Fields on different teams, where do you think he will end up.

Bold Predictions

The podcast has loads of bold predictions for the NFL Draft, among some of the crazy ideas the guys banter in this one includes:
-Ryan and Chapman like Pitts making his way to Atlanta.
-Wade likes the 49ers to move up for playmaker Trey Lance.
-Carolina will trade their 8th pick away to a QB hungry team
-Roger Goodell goes in for an awkward hug, still gets booed.

Make sure that you listen to the whole NFL Draft Preview podcast and share it with your friends!
We will have more NFL Draft predictions throughout the week.

April Showers

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It’s raining NFL free agents this month, as we delve into the state of the league in our April Showers podcast.

Wade McElwain and a hungover Ryan Cull take to the waves to discuss some of the landing spots and potential trades that could shake, rattle and roll some of the teams heading into the start of the 2021 season.

Teams are QB-rabid heading into the draft, but is this clouding the overall judgment for the team going forward?
One of these young men will turn into a bust, but which one will it be?

Among some of the hot topics that Wade & Ryan twerk on in this April Showers episode includes:

Dam Sarnold

Sam is gone from the Jets, so now we can figure out whether it was him, or the putrid Jets.
New York has traded away 6 straight number one picks, which is a troubling sign for a franchise that has trouble shooting straight.
The Jets have spent too long being bad, and if they aren’t able to right the ship after the past few years of opportunities, then they really do suck.

Draft Chat

Colts stud Darius Leonard thinks that the current Draft class ‘talks too much’, which could just be a sign of youth.
Thanks to social media, many of these youngsters are actually engaging and responding to criticism prior to the draft.
It’s one thing that we have learned from Twitter and the ilk, saying something stupid in your youth will NEVER come back to haunt you.

Sorry Buffalo

It took long enough! The Buffalo Bills finally received an apology from the NFL this week after admitting that they got a playoff call ‘wrong.’
A blindsided chop-block called against Cody Ford in a 2019 playoff game against the Houston Texans was deemed a ‘bad call’ in hindsight by the league.
Not only did the chop-block call take the Bills out of potential field goal range, but Ford was also fined $28,075 for the dirty deed.
No word from the NFL if they plan on repaying the huge fine to Ford, or whether they are happy to just to ignore him.
The real anger must stir with Bills fans who are now only getting the apology a few years later, and not a lot of justification.

Drunkest & Most Stoned Fans

Real fans of the NFL are passionate across every facet of the league.
So when it came down to determining which fans not only draw the most, but consumed the most weed…one could see what fans became so darn patriotic.
After all, Buffalo prides itself on throwing it’s drunken fans through tables-surely that must put them on top of the heap?
Surprisingly…no.
In terms of potheads, weed isn’t fully legal across the country, so it would be expected that a ‘green’ state would once again lead the way in cannabis culture.
Again…wrong.
So what team leads the league in both alcohol and marijuana consumption?
It’s the Atlanta Falcons!
Not surprising, since they blown more leads than a pitbull owner.
Maybe it’s the cheap food and drink, or southern hospitality, but ATL is the place to partay.
Can’t wait to have you guys in London this year!

We are still patiently waiting on news about who the Atlanta Falcons coming to London this year, but given recent data-we will be stocking up on booze and weed to make them feel right at home.
Let’s see how that goes!

Here’s the podcast!
Make sure that you share it, listen to it with loved ones, or blare it really loud to get back at neighbours that you might hate.
It’s a pretty pliable podcast.