NFL in London

National Football League in London

josh allen

Divisional Halfway-AFC

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We’re already through 8 regular weeks of NFL seasonal play, and there are some challengers and losers in the bunch of 32. Let’s take a look at the Divisional Halfway AFC standings when it comes to the teams, as we break down each division for some insight.

AFC East

At the start of the season, the power-packed East looked sure to send at least 2 teams through to the playoffs, off the back of Aaron Rodgers, or head of Tua. With November now here, it’s possible that the Buffalo Bills will have this sucker wrapped up by Thanksgiving.

The Jets are a mess, and with only 3 wins going into November, it’s highly unlikely they go anywhere unless the run the table.

Tua and the Dolphins are also lost in the fog, as another series of concussions should be paramount in his future thinking. As a result coach Mike McDaniel also looks lost, and even Tyreek Hill is apologising to NFL Fantasy owners. Is this the end of the Miami run before a rebuild?

As for the Patriots, NFL fans around the world are enjoying this after too many TB12 seasons. Drake Make might be the future, if he doesn’t get killed by a weak O-line first.

AFC North

The Steelers? For real? This isn’t a April Fool’s joke?
Nope, coach Tomlin shows that coaching is what makes teams, as he rides his D and ageing QB’s to the top tier of this division. While many pundits claim it won’t last long, they still find ways to win, when others are taking L’s.

The dark horse Ravens were thought to be running away with this division, given the MVP calibre play of Jackson and Henry, but there are still some cracks. Those cracks would be in their secondary, which has been allowing points in, and games lost. Still gotta beat the Chiefs at the end of the day.

Cincinnati is in trouble, real trouble. No matter what Burrow does, that D is pouring in points every week. Even with such a stellar squad, the Bengals are struggling to get wins over even the weakest teams. Perhaps it’s time for a coaching change?

Oh Cleveland you filthy beast, what’s going on? Jameis has probably played his last football, and even Johnny Manziel is looking good right now. It looks like another rebuild decade for the Brownies, as fans must be at the end of their tether.

AFC South

The dirty south looks like it’s running through Houston again, but there are big sized Texas problems. After a Week 9 TNF loss to the Jets, CJ Stroud even admitted that there is a problem in Houston. Too many injuries to rely on Mixon’s legs, and CJ seems to have taken a step back.

Stepping back even further has been Colts QB Anthony Richardson, who has made a shocking regression from last season, and his quotes about being ‘tired’, are sure to inflame fans, and anyone over 30. Indy might be 4-4 now, but how long can they rely on Old Joe Flacco?

Jacksonville must be thanking their lucky stars that Tennessee is in their division, because otherwise they would be in dead last place. When owner Khan declared that ‘winning is the only option’, he must have had some crumbs in his moustache, because winning looks far away. Coach Doug better bring his rosary beads every week, because he’s got some praying to do.

As for the Titans, they well and truly suck. The Nashville fire sale has begun, with Hopkins gone, and Will Levis looking CFL bound next year. There’s always changing their name back to the Oilers?

AFC West

Kansas City is 7-0, and it doesn’t look likely that anyone will beat them. Mahomes is playing well enough, but it’s the coaching, the D and Taylor. No, you’re crying.

Denver didn’t look like they were off to a good start in 2024, but coach Payton has gotten the Broncos and Bo Nix humming. It helps to have a shut-down safety like Surtain, and who knows how far this team could go?

LA Chargers are also playing smart, and slow football. With a 4-3 record heading into week 9, the Bolts are looking to keep pace with KC, and slot themselves into the postseason off their solid D.

Tom Brady might part own the Raiders now, but everyone else has been owning them too. Like many things in Vegas, it might be time to implode the old, and rebuild the new, or did they do that already? Do it again.

So congrats to the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens, one of you will be representing the AFC come February.

 

Conference Playoffs

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And then there were four. Only the Bills, Bucs, Chiefs, and Packers remain, so which one of them will be the next Super Bowl Champion? We will find out in this podcast edition of the NFL Conference Playoffs.

The Divisional Playoffs last weekend brought us some incredible highs, some lowly lows, and some oh so close matches that went down to the wire. Some of those things that Wade & Ryan talk about in this edition of the podcast includes:

Bills Running Game

The Bills don’t have one, but how much will that matter? Well, going deep into the playoffs-the more well rounded teams usually fare better. While questions emerge around how the Bills can expect to survive again against the Chiefs without a running game, the guys discuss another point. What if it’s there, but we just don’t see it.

Done Drew

Drew Brees is of the big broadcast booth in the sky next season by the look of it, and what a way to whimper out. Brees was picked and prodded by the stout Bucs D last weekend, and despite the cute send off by Tom Brady after the game, it wasn’t really the way a player wants to bow out of the NFL.

Clipped Ravens

The Ravens are good, but not great. They lack the finesse of a complete team, and that puts too much pressure on Lamar Jackson. The Bills choked out Baltimore and didn’t ask if they wanted a safety word. If Baltimore wants to make a deeper push next season, they are going to need to add a running game and a few key receivers.

Rodgers Rate

Aaron Rodgers is playing phenomenal football right now. Of course, he’s only won one post season game thus far, and that was against the depleted LA Rams, who had a hobbled Aaron Donald in that game. Aaron is playing knockout football, but is that only because he hasn’t been hit yet ?

Browntown

Cleveland is as Cleveland does. The Browns shot themselves in the foot numerous times last Sunday against a Chiefs team that was ready for a right hook. The Browns screwed up in the red zone several times, and Baker wasn’t able to get the passing game going with effectiveness. For about an hour, the world was rooting for the Browns, but it wasn’t enough.

Bucs D

Something is stirring in Florida, and it isn’t a radioactive gator (or is it?). Tampa’s D has been growing in confidence week on week, thanks to TB12 being able to score at will. The Bucs harassed Drew Brees on Sunday, and their numerous picks set the stage for Buc’s points. If a Super Bowl is won by the best D, is this their best chance?

Goff-Off

Jared Goff is going to struggle to be an LA resident. Given that everyone in California is moving to Texas, Goff might want to consider packing his bags. Sean McVay is obviously miffed at Goff’s inconsistent style of play, and he has regressed since their Super Bowl appearance. Look for him to use this offseason to ‘find himself’ or the door out.

Sunday Predictions

So who do Wade & Ryan see winning this Sunday? Well have a listen to the full podcast, and you can get all of the scores and reasoning. But for the sake of brevity and giving you some betting clues, here you go.

Bucs (11-5) vs Packers (13-3)
Packers -3.5  +52
20:05 GMT

The last time these two teams met, the Bucs D grabbed Aaron Rodgers by the moustache and rode that face down the field for 38-10 beating. After getting picked off twice, you could see the look in Rodgers eyes that said basically ‘screw this crap’, and he never mentally returned.
Rematches are a different beast, and we know from TB12 last week that vengeance has its own plan.
The weather looks to be Wisconsin comfortable on Sunday, which will benefit the Bucs.
Green Bay still has some issues on their O line, while the Bucs have had to shuffle a few players on their O line to give Tommy some breathing space.
Ryan is bullish on the Packers here, as it sets up his Super Bowl prediction. He thinks that the combo of Rodgers and Adams will find too many holes in that Bucs secondary and that Tommy’s heroics will fail at the last minute.
Wade on the other hand sees this Bucs momentum continuing on. Brady loves a challenge, and you can bet he will be a bigger locker room motivator than Rodgers. If Ronald Jones is fully healthy, the Packers will struggle to contain a dual attack, not to mention Rodgers being sacked several times.
Ryan- Packers 30 Bucs 27
Wade- Bucs 31 Packers 28

Bills (13-3) vs Chiefs (14-2)
Chiefs -3  +56
23:40 GMT

It’s the battle of the young’uns, as Josh Allen takes aim at Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
Mahomes looks to have cleared concussion protocol, and his foot injury is looking good as well. It’s difficult in the best of games to contain Mahomes, so the Bills have their hands full.
Despite their winning record, the Bills have had an underdog status propelling them into the playoffs. The press has pointed to their last 90s’ appearances, and how Josh Allen was busy winning ‘cutest baby titles’ the last time the Bills made the show.
The last time these two faced off the Bills showed Mahomes a cushion of respect, which led to them getting gashed for over 240 rushing yards in a loss. The Bills won’t make the same mistake twice.
Josh Allen has more tools and confidence since that loss, which was also impacted by Covid scheduling,
Both being Canadians who lived on the US border, Wade and Ryan are favouring the plucky Bills in this contest, although for different reasons.
A diehard Bills fan, Ryan would choose them even if they all tested positive for Covid. He has all the confidence that the Bills will make the Super Bowl after this one.
Wade likes the Bills because the ghost of his father Harvie is telling him to, and that’s good enough for him.
Ryan- Bills 30 Chiefs 28
Wade- Bills 28 Chiefs 26

Do you think that the guys got it right? Feel free to reach out to us across our website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and carrier pigeon. We have a Facebook group as well that has loads of great articles and funny memes.
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At the end of the podcast, Wade pays tribute to his father Harvie McElwain who died on January 20, 2021. Harvie was a big impact on NFL in London, and this NFL loving father, grandfather and former referee’s presence will be felt here for a long time.
Safe travels Harv.

Enjoy Sunday, and please share this with all your NFL friends.

Picks Six-Divisionals

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Hello there and welcome to another edition of The Picks Six, back again for (super) Divisional Weekend. Sadly, only four games this weekend and, horrifyingly, only 3 more after sunday night. That said, it does mean we’re coming to the business end of the season, and the remaining 8 teams all know they’re just 3 wins away from the ultimate goal of lifting the Lombardi trophy in SuperBowl LV. This weekend’s matchups are absolutely mouthwatering, with one-on-one spectacles like Jalen Ramsey vs Davante Adams, ultimate draft comparison with Lamar and Josh Allen, two of the greatest QBs ever going up against each other… oh and Tom Brady vs Drew Brees. You will all respect Baker vs Mahomes. You will. Let’s talk briefly about each game, and my pick for each of them.

Rams @ Packers 

The headline grabbing matchup between star cornerback and star receiver aside, this still feels like the ultimate game of offense vs defense. Despite the Packers’ alleged struggles against the run, they haven’t allowed a 100 yard rusher in almost two months at this point, and have tightened things up significantly on the back end, whilst their fearless leader continues to shred opposing defences en route to his MVP award. Rodgers has truly been peerless, and enjoyed his bye week whilst Aaron Donald was slightly injuring his ribs against Russell Wilson. You can probably guess where I’m leaning with this one: I just can’t see the Rams being able to score enough to beat this Packers team. If they get another defensive score – like the Pick 6 last week – they’d have a shot, but Rodgers has Adams, Tonyan, Jones, and the deep-threat of Valdez-Scantling and for me those weapons are too many to defend. Cam Akers has given the Rams some nice late season production in the latter stages of the season, and Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are a great pair of receivers, but is Jared Goff 100%? Surely he can’t be. If Blake Bortles had been there more this season, he might be given a shot, but it feels unlikely they’ll throw him in unless Goff’s thumb is really struggling. 

Therefore, I ask the question: can you beat Aaron Rodgers without a QB? Maybe. I saw this week that Aaron Rodgers is 0-2 in the playoffs against the number one ranked pass defense… which this season is the LA Rams. Jalen Ramsey’s stats are insane, but will need every bit of his smarts to stay with Davante Adams. I think the Packers will find special ways to get Adams the ball – he’s too good to not be involved, despite Ramsey’s attention. I don’t think this will be a back and forth shootout and if I wasn’t morally opposed to betting the under, I would suggest doing that. However, as it stands, with the line at -6.5, I like Green Bay to win and move on to the NFC Title game.

Ravens @ Titans 

Ooooooh this game. Saturday night football is electric. Lamar finally got the playoff monkey off his back with the revenge victory against Tennessee, and the Ravens will ride into Buffalo high on confidence and with a mean streak in tow. However, this isn’t the same old Bills team. This is Josh Allen’s Bills team. His partnership with Stefon Diggs is truly Box Office, and that Bills D is showing up late in the season like it should. Buffalo’s run game took a bit of a hit with the injury to Zack Moss, but really Buffalo’s most dangerous runner is… their main passer. Allen is so dangerous in the RedZone, and can create hell for defensive coordinators. That said, the Bills have struggled against the run, and the Ravens seem to want to run over everyone that’s put in front of them, and have done so successfully for about 6 weeks now. I love the one-two punch of JK Dobbins and Jackson in the backfield with their speed and shiftiness, and the threat of Mark Andrews and Hollywood Brown down the field. Baltimore are flying right now, but Sean McDermott has something special cooking in Buffalo.

I do feel that Buffalo wins this game, and I like a lot of points to be scored here. Bills Mafia will show up and be loud and I think will help propel Josh Allen to his second playoff win in two weeks. I think this will be a great game, with these two young star QBs showing why they are two of the new faces of the league. MVP Lamar will have his moments here, but I think the quality of Diggs down the field, with the underneath ability of Cole Beasley and (potential breakout star) Gabriel Davis, will give the Bills what they need to win this shootout.

Browns @ Chiefs 

The Baker vs Mahomes story has been told a thousand times, but that doesn’t make it any less enchanting. Mahomes visited Texas Tech and stayed with Baker, before becoming the Tech QB when Mayfield had transferred to Oklahoma. Then came the absolutely INSANE 66-59 game in October 2016. The game still holds almost every NCAA record for offensive statistics. The number one pick for Cleveland, vs the man Andy Reid and the Chiefs were so enamoured with they traded up to take him, and eventually pushed Alex Smith aside to complete his ascension. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have been an absolute powerhouse for multiple years now, and are the reigning SuperBowl champions for a reason. And, guess what? They’re better than they were last year. However, it’s been two decades since the Cleveland Browns were even approaching being as good as they are right now. Will there be a more confident team this weekend than the Browns? They just beat up their big brother and broke the curse at Heinz Field that’s lasted over 17 years. Not to mention, this is their first playoff appearance in about that long. On the face of it, this is David vs Goliath, and Vegas seems to agree – with the Browns 10 point underdogs. I see two options in this game. Either the Browns control the clock with the two-headed monster in the run game, and keep it close, or the Chiefs offense does what it does and scores 45 points against an under matched Cleveland secondary. Kansas City is so explosive, you can’t rule it out. 

That said, with the momentum from last week, I believe in Baker and the Browns. Do I believe they’ll win the game? … not entirely. But I absolutely believe the game will be close. Baker is playing REALLY well and will continue to put his team in a position to have a chance in this game. Kevin Stefanski’s return to the sidelines will only help the Browns case. The points line is 57!!! Insanely high, so I’ll leave that, but this could well end up being a shootout. That said, Browns +10.0 looks good to me. Furthermore, don’t be surprised if there IS an upset in KC… you’ve been warned.

Buccaneers @ Saints 

Brees vs Brady is a lovely way to end the weekend. Undoubtedly, Brady has been the more successful Quarterback, and yet Brees seems to be the one holding all the individual NFL league records. I saw a stat that says Tom Brady has the same number of playoff wins against the NFC as Drew Brees does… and Brady previous to this year only got to play the NFC in the SuperBowl… Yikes for Drew. Brees’ regular season success has been matched by the levels of playoff heartbreak he and New Orleans have had to endure the past decade. The Minneapolis miracle, the non-call of the PI against the Rams… I feel for the Saints. I really do. And just when they feel like they’ve got everything to make the Super Bowl again… Tom Brady joins the division. Ouch. Credit to the Saints, they’ve beaten these Buccaneers twice this year already, but the old saying goes “it’s hard to beat a team 3 times…” So maybe the Buccaneers can get their revenge? The Bucs are in a much different place now to when the Saints handled them easily around ⅔ of the season mark. Bruce Arians seems to have figured out how to make the most out of the pieces he’s got. I mean, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Scotty Miller, PLUS Gronk and Brate the Tight Ends… The Buccaneers have many different ways they can beat you, especially if they get the “old” Leonard Fournette like they appeared to last week against Washington.

This game is such a toss up for me right now. I’ve been a proponent of the Saints, and a disregard-er of the Bucs for most of this year, but I might have to jump (to the pirate) ship right now. Brady looks good, and the sheer number of weapons the Bucs have is terrifying. The way the Saints win this game is lean on Alvin Kamara, take the ball out of Drew Brees’ hands, and hope their D-Line can wreck the Tampa Bay game plan. That said, I think this is high-scoring and the Buccaneers keep it close. This will be a great Sunday night cap. I would only be surprised if this game was a blowout one way or the other. And whoever wins… gets Aaron Rodgers next week. Oooooooh tasty.

The Parlay

Combining the picks from above, £10 on the following four leg parlay pays about £450 depending on your bookmaker.

Green Bay -6.5

Over 49.0 points & Buffalo -2.5 

Cleveland +10.0

Over 52.0 points & Tampa Bay +3.0

Enjoy the games everybody! As always I’m @CallumJDSquires on Twitter & Instagram. Come say hey. Let’s get these Championships won next weekend and look forward to the Super Bowl. Stay safe and stay sane. 

Callum Squires is a diehard Dolphins fan, writer, and friend of NFL in London. 

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1995 Bills

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What a blast from the past this week, as the Buffalo Bills finally become the AFC East Champions since 1995.
After a drought of Patriots dominance, it was a seasonal performance worthy of dressing Bill Belichick in a dildo costume and body slamming him into 12 collapsible tables into a vat of wing sauce.
The city of Buffalo is on fire, and it’s not just the chemical spills.
Oh what a time it was since the Bills were able to pull off such a feat, in fact you would have to take a time machine back to 1995 when the world was a simpler place.
Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and a feisty Bruce Smith brought us a Buffalo dynasty like no other. When Buffalo wings had yet to conquer the world, obesity was ‘okay’, and table throws were still in their infancy.
Anyone who was alive in the wondrous mid-time of the 90s’ remember a time without smartphones, influencers, emojis’ and status updates. People LIVED back then.
The 1995 Bills represented a working man’s NFL approach to the big business boar of Jimmy Jones and his deep pocketed Cowboys.
Sure, the 1995 Bills were one of many squads to be swept 4 times in the SuperBowl and the team & franchise fell apart/asleep in the Wilson era to follow…but…1995!!
Among some of the other things alive in 95 include:

Did OJ do it?

That was the burning question in 1995, as we wondered if they would acquire if it didn’t fit. Why would a successful former NFL player with a mild drug habit and fiery temper murder his ex-wife and her new boyfriend? Even Russian president famously asked Bill Clinton immediately upon landing in America in 1995 ‘Do you think OJ did it’?. We all wanted to know. Luckily, his peers deemed him innocent, even if another court ordered that he pay her family everything he had. We went on to stage an unsuccessful robbery of his former memorabilia, spend some time in prison, and now the world relishes in his half-cocked-up social media rants. The Juice might still have a little squeeze left in him even if his victims don’t.

TV

‘Member scheduled TV? ‘Member? ‘Must see TV’ was part of our weekly lexicon as Seinfeld got us saying ‘I’m out’, we all wanted to bang a ‘Friend’, and a Super Bowl ad cost a meagre $1.15 million. Now it’s all apps, crap and streaming. Meh.

George Foreman Grill

Some people might know George Foreman as that loveable old man with 100 kids named after him, but before that, he sold sandwich makers to old people over the TV. He was also a boxer, but he made more money off of sandwiches. The grill became a staple at college dorms, bedrooms for bacon mornings and with poorly skilled cooks who used it to ruin a perfectly good steak.

Wedding Gere

He’s straight guys. No, really. In 1995 Gere married Cindy Crawford after they took out a full page ad the previous year to declare that they were both ‘heterosexual’. A bold move even today and was possibly the only way to dispel rampant Richard rumours about his nasty habits. Some of the more colourful theories include him shoving live gerbils up his rectum, drinking a gallon of Rod Stewart’s warm man juice, hosting an orgy inside his rectum. His rectal activities played a large part in many of these topics, hence his need to marry a supermodel and take out an ad. Of course, everyone saw through it. Gerbil sales are still motioned to this day.

Super Computer

If you wanted to get on the net or do some spreadsheets, you needed a PC, which was the compute at the time. The hot model of 1995 was a slick IBM with a 486ghz processor, about as fast as a cracked iPhone in a bag of rice these days. One of these bad boys wasn’t cheap, costing you a cool $1800 to power up your windows 95. If you wanted to find one of these PCs these days you could check the dump, a hipster cafe, or a school for unfortunate children.

The Internet is a Waste

Newsweek magazine hit everyone hard in 1995 when they declared that the internet will never be anything more than a place to send business data. It was too unsafe to ever do anything like read the news, but tickets, or God forbid do banking. You heard it world, get away from the internet, Newsweek says it’s just a fad.
Read it here
https://www.newsweek.com/clifford-stoll-why-web-wont-be-nirvana-185306

Loser Love

Trying to prove the haters wrong, was a little company that just wanted to show some love. Match.com launched in 1995 hoping to take a bite out of the lucrative ‘Video Dating’ market. Looking at the 1995 version of the site gives you the impression that it’s what pedophile hunters would set up to ensnare some loser, but hey, look what happened.

Music

The 1990s had the best music bar none in 100 years. It’s a fact, ask anyone. 1995 was led by the ‘Common People’ who didn’t have to ‘Think Twice before they belted their ‘Earth Song’, singing ‘This is how we do it’. They climbed the ‘Wonderwall’ looking for ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’ chasing ‘Waterfalls’ near the ‘Country House’ trying not to ‘Scream’ at the ‘Scatman’ or the ‘Shy Guy, but with a little ‘Boom Boom Boom’ & ‘Heaven for Everyone in ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’.

Sports

In other sports, real dynasty’s were either coming to an end, or nearing their beginning.
San Franciso 49ers were the 1995 Super Bowl champs, as Steve Young and Jerry Rice pummelled the hapless San Diego Chargers.
Atlanta Braves won the World Series beating the poor Cleveland Indians. You could say their name back then.
1990s sports was a more nostalgic time for broadcasting. Digital cable was only starting to penetrate the plugs of America, so big networks and big personalities led the NFL slate.
Pat Somerall, John Madden, Jimmy the Greek and Al Michaels all brought with them a certain flair and panache to the pundit booth. Sadly with Jimmy it was racism, and it was a mighty slap of justice when the old bigot was put to roost.

Congrats to the Buffalo Bills on becoming AFC East Champions once again. They have the team to go all the way this year, let’s just see how far that way goes.
OJ did it by the way.

Passing Leaders-Week 4

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Dak Prescott might not be able to get all the W’s, but he certainly is racking up the yards heading into week 4. The cowboys have face some tough opposition, but Dak has been able to keep games close by torching weak midfields with his relentless attacks. He’s facing a tough Browns D this week, so we’ll see if he can hold onto number 1.

Josh Allen is more like ‘Josh Alien’ with his out of this world passing and runs. He needed to pull it all together last week to stop the Rams from ruining his parade. Josh will face the Raiders this week, which has enough holes for Allen to exploit.

Matt Ryan is on fire, too bad it’s like one of those bag of dog poo fires that gets all over you. Matty Ice has been connecting downfield, but not enough to give them the scores. He faces the Packers this week who are tough to pass against. Matty might drop this week.

Russell Wilson is the man, and he could have jumped higher up the rankings had DK Metcalf not been a silly-willy-nilly and let that ball get knocked out in the end zone. He will look to feast on a Miami D in week 4.

Patrick Mahomes might be only the 4th rated NFL player by his peers, but heading into week 4 he’s #5 in passing yards. He’s playing Bill Belichick and the Patriots this week, so let’s see if he can carve those stats even higher.

Who will have the best passing yards this week? Make sure you play along in our fantasy contests to win big.