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Hypothetical Showdown: 2004 New England Patriots vs 1995 Dallas Cowboys – Who Reigns Supreme?

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What if two of the greatest NFL dynasties clashed on the gridiron? In this epic battle of eras, the 2004 New England Patriots take on the 1995 Dallas Cowboys in a high-octane hypothetical matchup that delivers drama, star power, and iconic moments. Let’s dive into the ultimate fantasy faceoff between Tom Brady’s disciplined dynasty and Troy Aikman’s star-studded Cowboys.

🕵️‍♂️ Game Preview: A Battle of Greatness

The 2004 Patriots come in riding the wave of their back-to-back Super Bowl dominance, led by a young but unshakeable Tom Brady, a stifling defense anchored by Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, and Rodney Harrison, and the tactical genius of Bill Belichick.

On the flip side, the 1995 Cowboys were a powerhouse — a juggernaut built on a Hall of Fame trio: quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith, and wide receiver Michael Irvin. With a dominant offensive line and a menacing defense, this Dallas squad steamrolled the NFL en route to their third Super Bowl in four years.

Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
Conditions: Mild 16°C, overcast, light drizzle
Halftime Show: “Legends of the ’90s & 2000s” featuring Eminem and Oasis

1995 – Dallas Cowboys (L-R) Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin celebrate after Smith scored. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News) jnpcowbook dl0830 09042011xSPORTS 12272014xALDIA 01112015xSPORTS

📖 First Quarter: Defense Sets the Tone

The opening frame saw both defenses flex their muscle. Willie McGinest opened the game with a sack on Aikman, setting the tempo. On the other side, Charles Haley forced a strip-sack fumble on Brady, recovered by Darren Woodson at midfield.

Key Play: Aikman hits Irvin on a 28-yard post, setting up a 1-yard Emmitt Smith touchdown plunge.
Score: Cowboys 7, Patriots 0

🔥 Second Quarter: Momentum Swings

The Patriots adjusted, with Corey Dillon grinding out key yards. Brady found Deion Branch on a crucial 3rd-and-8, then capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown to David Givens. The Pats defense responded with a Bruschi interception that flipped the field.

Key Play: Adam Vinatieri nails a 47-yard field goal to close the half.
Score at Half: Patriots 10, Cowboys 7

🎤 Halftime Show: Legends Collide

The Wembley crowd erupts as Eminem performs “Lose Yourself” followed by a surprise collaboration with Oasis on “Wonderwall.” The show blends gritty energy with Britpop nostalgia, mirroring the game’s clash of cultures and eras.

⚔️ Third Quarter: Air Raid

The Cowboys return aggressive. Aikman finds tight end Jay Novacek for a 22-yard score after a play-action fake. But Brady isn’t rattled. He counters with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a TD strike to tight end Daniel Graham.

Key Injury: Cowboys cornerback Larry Brown exits with a hamstring issue, exposing the secondary.
Score: Patriots 17, Cowboys 14

🧨 Fourth Quarter: Clutch Moments & Controversy

Emmitt Smith grinds out tough yards to help Dallas burn clock, eventually punching in his second TD from the goal line. With 4:21 left, the Cowboys lead 21-17.

But Brady, with his legendary calm, engineers a textbook 2-minute drill. Key completions to Branch and Brown set up a game-winning, toe-tap TD in the back corner by Givens with 0:26 left.

Key Play: Rodney Harrison intercepts Aikman’s last-gasp Hail Mary to seal the win.
Final Score: Patriots 24, Cowboys 21

🏆 Game MVP: Tom Brady

Brady finishes with 278 yards, 3 TDs, and 0 INTs, orchestrating a surgical late-game drive. His poise under pressure outshined even the great Troy Aikman, earning him MVP honors in this dream matchup.

🧠 Game Summary

  • Final Score: Patriots 24, Cowboys 21
  • MVP: Tom Brady
  • Top Performers:
    • Tom Brady: 24/32, 278 yards, 3 TDs
    • Emmitt Smith: 21 carries, 98 yards, 2 TDs
    • Deion Branch: 7 receptions, 101 yards
    • Michael Irvin: 6 receptions, 89 yards
    • Tedy Bruschi: 7 tackles, 1 INT

The game highlighted two eras of football mastery — the Cowboys’ raw athletic dominance vs the Patriots’ precision and strategy. While Emmitt Smith and Irvin dazzled, Brady’s calm leadership and Belichick’s adjustments proved the difference.

This fantasy matchup is a celebration of NFL greatness — a collision of grit, glory, and gridiron history. In a contest where every inch mattered, the Patriots’ late-game brilliance narrowly edged out the Cowboys’ legacy of power. Would the result be the same in Dallas? That’s a debate for another day.

Week 1 Picks

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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

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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!

Tom Brady Roast Review

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With the NFL season still months away, fans are Jonesing for anything football related to satiate the feels, so when Netflix released the Roast of Tom Brady on Sunday, fans were thrilled to get a bit of football to soothe those DTs.

So was it any good? Is it worth watching? Does TB12 cry? Let’s break some of it all down in our Tom Brady Roast Review.

Roasts

Anyone with a love of comedy will remember the notorious Friar’s Club Roasts that emerged out of a vaudeville era. As the Roasts grew in the 70s’, so was the appetite for celebrities to be roasted by famous comedians and other celebs to validate their ego in a slosh filled affair.

When comedian Jeffrey Ross pushed to reinvigorate the format in the early 2000s’, we were treated to some of the most outrageous and bawdy comedic lines in history. The Roasts of David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson had the likes of Greg Goraoldo, Lisa Lampanelli, and some of the harshest take downs in history.

Recently however, celebrities have been coy to attend given that any of their past deeds to could be brought up, and flashed in their face. To put it plainly, celebs today are too much of a pussy to take it.

Brady Steps Up

Is was good of Tom Brady to put himself up for this, even if it was probably his management to add a bit of humanity to him before his Fox gig.

Brady was a good sport about the various digs about his failed marriage, leaving a pregnant ex, and deflating balls. It seems that the only thing that really irked Tommy was when Jeff Ross made a masturbatory joke at the expense of Robert Kraft, which caused Tom to get out of his seat and remonstrate Ross with a quick ‘don’t do that shit again.’

Apparently there were boundaries.

The Niki Glaser Show

They might as well have given the whole roast to comedian Niki Glaser, who was most definitely the funniest person on the dais Sunday night. Anyone who says ‘women aren’t funny’ might want to see the master craft set that Niki blasted at Tom in a relentless fashion.

Cool, collected and with impeccable Swiss timing, Glaser was able to set the bar so high, that even Randy Moss seemed high when he followed her. Her shots at Gronk were so savage, it’s doubtful that he even got them.

Niki is one of the ‘old school’ roasters on the panel, and it was easy to see why she was the best, and so hard to follow.

Jew Bledsoe

Aside from the typical American race-bait jokes, it was interesting to see Drew Bledsoe toss a little antisemitism Julian Edleman’s way. Not only did Drew shade Edelman’s heritage, but also threw in a few ‘Jewy’ jokes about him haggling his own contract, and be able to switch from a nickel to a dime with added value.

Bledsoe extolled the virtues of winery and marriage, neither of which seemed to be in attendance that night as he was cast off to the side by himself.

Kim K

It wouldn’t be LA (or Englewood) without having a Kardashian at the Roast, as Kim represented her clan to a shower of boos from the home crowd.

Despite the assistance of numerous writers, Kardashian, like many non-comics struggled to get the belly laughs, and consistent ribbing.

Tom was able to lob a funny ‘Kanye’ fathering joke at Kim, which deflated any reason for her to be there.

Roasts are a good indicator of the ‘natural funny’ of a person, and Kim certainly doesn’t have it.

Where’s the Booze?

For a 3+ hour affair that is usually flushed with booze, most of the panel seemed to hold an empty glass for most of the evening.

Drew Bledsoe was wireless as he talked about being winless, Brady had 2 empty glasses on the go, and Kevin Hart seemed like he was smashed from the start, and got drunker and surlier as the night went on.

Although Bill Belichick was never shown drinking, he bounced around that microphone like he had a few. And when Brady hit him later with the dig about doing the dirty and getting caught on a Ring, well that was just hilarious.

All in all it was a fun roast, but  along roast. Netflix will be hoping to smash more of these sports events down our throats to atone for those years of ‘wokrness’, but it will be interesting to see if anyone will have the stones to be able to take a good bashing.

Good on Tom Brady for taking it.

 

 

 

2024 NFL Draft

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It’s that time of year again football fans, as the spring gives way to the thaw of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Eminem has assured us all that he will be giving commissioner Roger Goodell the ‘D’ for tonight, which should pair nicely with the boo’s that he will also receive.
Did we mention that Roger is finally appearing on the Pat McAfee Show for the Draft?
This night is getting even better!

For this edition of the NFL Draft, Wade and Ryan make their picks as to who they think will choose who where and when?
So many possibilities, and that doesn’t even factor into the chance that some teams might be getting QB hungry, and looking to move up to one of the better ones.

To make sure that you get to listen to our 300th episode of our podcast, make sure that you click the link here to get all of the goodness ahead of the big game.

Podcast Highlights

Just to give you a bit of a steer ahead of this Draft, Ryan and Wade have their own little predictions as to who goes where.
So many moving parts in this draft!
Here are some of the things that the guys surmise:

Ryan

-thinks that the #2 pick will be Washington taking Drake Maye
-believes that the Chargers will make a move
-has the Patriots moving to take Michigan alum JJ McCarthy
-Brock Bowers pairs with Aaron Rodgers in New York
-Bo Nix is moving up in the first round
-Buffalo Bills use their only round 1 pick on a receiver.

Wade

-yes, the Bears will take Caleb (he doesn’t like this)
-Minnesota makes a move to trade with Arizona for a QB
-Bears go for O-line at number 9
-Chargers grab Marvin Harrison
-Giants grab DJ a wide receiver
Not too much in the way of spoiler alerts, so if you want to hear how it all goes down, make sure that you have a full listen to the podcast.

Other NFL News

Some other good/ bad and meh news ahead of the Draft, that may or may not factor into player choices.
  • New Orleans Saints offensive tackle James Hurst is retiring after 10 years. Harsh timing to retire the day before the Draft, as the Saints will need another piece to protect Derek Carr.
  • Reggie Bush will get his Heisman Trophy back after the NCAA admits that they ‘got it wrong.’ Ohtani actually bet $1 million that Reggie would get it back, so it all works out.
  • Chicago Bears have released their proposal for a $4 billion dollar makeover on Lake Michigan. It’s the first time in a long time that they have actually considered returning to the downtown core.

Wildcard Picks

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And just like that the NFL 2023-24 regular season is over, as we hit you with our Wildcard Picks podcast.
Who would have thunk that these were the teams that would be mounting the charge to glory when we started this season?

Here we are, as Ryan and Wade bust out their top tips for the Wildcard Picks podcast. If you want to listen to the whole cast in all its glory, just click on the link below.

Saturday Games

-2 Browns (11-6) vs Texans (10-7)  +44.5

The Browns were a pleasant surprise entrant into the playoffs, thanks to the balls-out heroics of one Joe Flacco. Cleveland’s D has also been stout this year, with Myles Garrett looking to add some heads to his tombstone collection for Halloween. Too bad the Browns are one of the worst teams for turnovers, which could be their undoing in this game.
CJ Stroud is back, and despite losing Tank Dell and O lineman throughout the season, Stroud has been displaying rookie of the year stats and decision making. Houston is limping into the playoffs off a close win to Indy, so how much gas will they have in the tank against a Browns team that rested most of its starters last week?
Ryan thinks that the Texans will cause some problems for the Browns, but it will be Cleveland who gets the W on Saturday.
Wade is also on the Browns, although he thinks that the Texans will mount a fourth quarter charge to salvage an early beating.
Ryan-Browns 24 Texans 21
Wade-Browns 27 Texans 20

Dolphins (11-6) vs -4.5 Chiefs (11-6)  +43.5

It’s a repeat of the Frankfurt game, as a the score might be as low given the weather forecast to hit Missouri on Saturday night. Miami is battered and fried, after an up and down season that has seen plenty of talent fall by the sore-side. Can they mount that final push after getting smacked around by the Bills in the cold last week?
The Chiefs this year are not like any of the teams from past season because they are beatable in many ways. Most importantly, they seem to beat themselves more often that usual, which presents some opportunities for the Dolphins. An ageing Kelce, dropitis, and Patrick’s lack of sling-success could all be a factor in KC messing up their own fortunes.
Ryan is taking the Chiefs at home, but likes the Fins to keep it close. The snow and cold will be a factor here, so look at the under and the running backs to go over on carries.
Wade is also stumping on the Chiefs to win in a close one. Miami will make some adjustments, and they might even win this one if they can connect with Tyreek for big gains.
Ryan-Chiefs 27 Dolphins 25
Wade-Chiefs 23 Dolphins 20

Sunday Games

As for the Sunday games, you can hear all of the predictions on the Wildcard Picks podcast, but we can give you a little hint as to the way the guys are leaning.

Steelers (10-7) vs -10 Bills (11-6)  +35.5

Ryan loves his Bills at home, but is nervous that Tomlin is going to have some tricks he’s going to pull in the snow to make this a close game. Low scores for a game that is expecting a foot of snow during it.
Wade is also taking the Bills at home here, and agrees that the under is the best bet to go with. This will be a running game, so look for Josh Allen to go over on rushing yards.
Ryan-Bills 17 Steelers 9
Wade-Bills 20 Steelers 9
As for the rest of the games, the guys both agree on the following:
  • The Cowboys will beat the Packers at home. Wade thinks it will be a blowout, Ryan is calling a close game.
  • LA Rams pull an upset over the Lions. Detroit will get caught out by Matt Stafford and a red hot Rams squad.
  • Bucs beat the Eagles at home. Mike Evans is about to have a hell of a night.

That’s it for our Wildcard Picks and podcast. Make sure that you follow our socials, and look out for some exciting news coming down the pipeline.