NFL in London

National Football League in London

kansas city chiefs

Conference Sunday

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What a wild weekend in the NFL Wildcard Playoffs! The Bills, Chiefs, Packers and Buccaneers all meet next week for Conference Sunday. Are you ready for some football?

The game lines for Sunday’s AFC and NFC championship have been released, with the Chiefs and Packers holding a narrow spread over their opponents. The Packers are favoured by 4 points over the Bucs at Lambeau, while the Chiefs are a scant 3 points favoured over the powerful Buffalo Bills.
Which two teams will be heading to the Super Bowl in Tampa Bay this season?

Here in the UK, those watching the Conference Sunday finals will have to wait until 20:05 for the NFC contest, while the AFC final follows directly after with a 23:40 kickoff. All of the games will be on NFL Gamepass.

Here are some thoughts heading into the final week of NFL playoffs before the SuperBowl.

Packers Offence

Aaron Rodgers continue to blister on at an MVP pace. The neigh sayers who bemoaned the Packers for not drafting a rookie WR to help Rodgers out have been silenced by the fact that he continues to spread the ball around relentlessly. Let’s not forget that the Packers have had the easiest route to the finals, so they will have much more to prove.

So Raven

Baltimore was smothered by the Bills defence on Saturday, forcing Lamar Jackson out of the game, and propelling them into the dank post season. Buffalo sure showed the blueprint to beat Lamar Jackson’s legs, and the Ravens will need a long hard look at what missing pieces they need to pick up in the offseason if they want to have any hope of making a longer playoff push next season.

Buffalo is Warming Up

The Ravens did what they could to throttle Josh Allen and the high flying Bills offence, but just don’t have enough to get it down. Buffalo is really starting to find their confidence now, which should be scary for a Chiefs team that barely escaped a bolstered Browns squad. Allen is also now starting to spread the ball out beyond Diggs, which will cause problems in KC.

We’re Secretly Brownies

As Patrick Mahomes made his way to the blue tent on Sunday night, a feeling started to roll across America ‘I might like the Browns’. Everyone started to root for this team as they showed their pluck and guile under the foot of the Chiefs presence. Cleveland didn’t play that bad. The Browns screwed up 2 HUGE chances in the redzone that would have made the game a totally different beast. Baker’s ill timed cross field interception took the momentum out of a huge drive, while Higgins leap into the end zone only to lose the ball to a touchback was a crappy way to end out the half. The fact that the refs missed a blatant helmet hit in the process means that the league still has work to do.

Henne Ain’t Great

Oooh everyone! Did you see the heroics of Henne? Yes, the 35 year old veteran back up had a few sneaky drives to keep the Chiefs in the win, but he also made some stoopid plays as well. How quickly everyone forgets the lame floater he tossed to a Browns player in the end zone. Not even Johnny Manziel would throw a lame duck like that. Any team that wants to sign Henne after that 2 quarters of mediocre play might be interested in some swamp land in Florida.

Reid’s Balls

Andy Reid has some pretty big balls. Going for it on 4th down with a backup QB, Reid decides to run a shotgun play quickly instead of letting the clock run and try to catch the D offside. The play worked, and sent the Browns packing. Thanks to the gonads of Andy Reid, there might be some big plays ahead.
Here is the play again.

Buc Up

Whoever keeps pissing in Tom Brady’s ‘Wheaties’, please stop. You’re giving him the motivation to star playing angry. While TB12 didn’t look amazing during the Saints game, he was facing one of the best D’s in the league. Tampa made some great adjustments to keep Tom safe, only allowing 1 sack as opposed to 10. Let’s also not forget that it was the Bucs who spanked the Packers huge this season, and with Tommy’s growing confidence, there could be trouble in Wisconsin this Sunday.

Brees Out

Well it looks like Drew Brees will be riding off into the sunset. Despite not officially saying this, every pundit and their uncle made their prediction that this would be Brees’ last game in New Orleans before taking a cushy broadcasting job. Brees has been a hell of a player, and such an ambassador for the city of New Orleans. There will be a big gap to fill after Brees leaves the swamp, and doubtful in Jameis Winston has being enough feet to fill those shoes.
The really classy moment came at the end, with footage of Brady and Brees talking to his family. TB12 throws a touchdown pass to little Brees…and no…you’re crying.

Have a great week, and let’s go Sunday!

Divisional Preview

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The wet and wacky NFL Wildcard weekend is now behind us, as we head into the final stretch with our Divisional Preview podcast.
Very few people correctly predicted the winners last weekend thanks to the plucky play of the Rams, and the vroom vroom of the Browns ‘Corvette.’
Wade & Ryan both chose the Steelers to topple the Browns (as did many) thus screwing their perfect playoff pools.

In this podcast the guys reflect on the all of the scores from the Wild-Wildcard Weekend that was for the first week of January 2021 in the NFL. The go through all of the scores, as well as lament some of the bonehead plays that got us there.
Wade spends a bit of time bitching about his Bears, and how close they kept it, although never within the reach of noodle-arm Trubisky.

Among some of the other news the boys discuss in this podcast includes:

Deshaun Watson

DW wants out of Houston, and who can blame him. Despite being the leader of the franchise, at times the organisation treats him like a ginger step-kid who abused the family dog. There is an utter lack of respect for a club that was going to do everything in their power to support him. Now that Deshaun wants to leave the Texans, loads of other teams are lining up to sign up to his services. Is it too late for the Texans to keep him happy, or will he be on his way?

Nagy & Pace

The Bears have brought back their GM and HC for another bash at the NFC North. It was felt that although the Bears did slip into 6 straight losses, the way that these guys recovered was enough to show that they have the skills to manage the team in the future. Tell that to thousands of angry residents of Chicago.

Dead Doug

Doug Pederson is dead. Not literally, just to Philly fans. Turns out his little exercise at trying out his backups during the last game of the season might not have been so wise after all. Doug is out, and you wonder who the heck wants the Philly coaching job? You have to eat Carson’s bloated contract and live up to the hype of a Super Bowl win within a decades reach.

Divisional Games

LA Rams vs Packers
Packers -7  +45.5

It’s Aaron vs Aaron as the boys can talk about how much they were teased as children with an ambiguous name. Kidding aside, this will be a good ole snow fight, as the Packers look to feast on LA after a relaxing bye week off.
How did LA get here? No…really. The Rams beat a hyped up Seahawks team with no QB. Sure, Goff was there, but he wasn’t that effective, although he was more so than Russell Wilson. LA was able to use their superior defence and big brain of Sean McVay to keep them in the game. Doing this against the Packers is another matter.
There are a few teams that have the players to be able to knock the Packers out of the playoffs. Watching the Bucs lay a beating on GB earlier this season showed exactly what needs to be done to keep Rodgers on the sideline. Keeping pressure on him, and shutting down Adams will be key.
Wade & Ryan both like this as an exciting start to the weekend, but sadly this one is going to be pretty predictable. With no real QB, the Rams will continue to struggle on first downs. If the Rams start to really fall behind, Goff will be chucking balls into heavy coverage that leads to picks.
Ryan- Packers 30 Rams 24
Wade- Packers 26 Rams 18

If you want the rest of our scores and predictions, have a laugh and a listen to the podcast. We want to thank all of you for listening, and keeping the podcast a moving up the charts.
Good luck to everyone this weekend, and we look forward when we can all get together soon.

Divisional Weekend

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Well that certainly put the ‘Wild’ in ‘Wildcard weekend, as it’s now time to move on to the NFL  Divisional Weekend.
Eight teams are left, as they all vie for the final two spots to the Superbowl. Who will have what it takes to be able to hoist the Lombardi Trophy and claim top spot in a truly wild and wacky NFL season.

Superbowl Odds

Now that the Steelers are riding the bus home, many of the odds have now changed. It was only a few weeks ago that Pittsburgh fans were proudly proclaiming how that they ‘could go all the way’ in an undefeated season. They are going all the way…home.
The odds to win the next Super Bowl are as follows:

  • Chiefs +200
  • Packers +375
  • Bills +600
  • Saints +600
  • Ravens +800
  • Bucs +900
  • LA Rams +1600
  • Browns +2500

Obviously the Chiefs are the big faves heading into this weekend, but given how many fewer points they have been posting compared to last season, there will be lingering questions about how effective they are this season.
What a snub for the Bucs! Las Vegas obviously isn’t a TB12 devotee, but it will be a great rematch between the Saints and Bucs.

Divisional Games

Saturday

LA Rams vs Green Bay Packers
Packers -7.5  +46.5
21:35 GMT

The Rams proved you don’t need a QB so long as you have Aaron Donald to pound the crap out of the other team. The Seahawks are done, so now it’s up to the Rams to travel to Lambeau and thwart the tough as nails Packers. Good luck.
For us in the UK, this will be the first game on Saturday night.

Baltimore Ravens vs Buffalo Bills
Bills -2.5  +49.5
1:15am GMT

These late games can be really tough on us Brits, as these games don’t finish until close to 5am. Luckily there is a lockdown on, and it’s a Saturday night-so go wild. You might want to make sure that you get your afternoon nap prior to this one, as it’s going to get a bit wild.
The Ravens dropped a deuce on the Titans on Sunday, and should matchup well with Josh Allen and the Bills.

Sunday

Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs -9.5  +55
20:05 GMT

Holy Cleveland! They came out firing and laid a filthy smack on the face of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not even Juju’s dancing could save the Steelers season, as they limp out to the offseason.
The Chiefs are heavy favourites in this one, but that might just spur on the Browns players even more.
This is the first game of the Sunday sessions, and reckons to be a high scoring affair in the cold.

Tampa Bay Bucs vs New Orleans Saints
Saints -3.5  +51.5
23:40 GMT

The Bucs survived the Washington team, while the Bears held the Saints close for 3 quarters and had a chance to win. Sure, the Saints have pissed off TB12 all year, but will they be able to do it when it counts. As you can see by the odds, Vegas doesn’t believe that the Bucs will make it past this game, despite Tom Brady saying that he was waiting for this rematch.
A late start for a Sunday night, again you’re probably not working so why not start Monday late?

We will have more info on these games as the week progresses, as well as updated odds and injuries. Make sure you also play along in our weekly DraftKings contests, where we host loads of weekly FREE and PAID contests so that you can win money with your NFL brain every week.

Sadly it doesn’t look like that we will have a SuperBowl event this year, but we will try to offer something interactive to you guys prior to the big game.
Hopefully the billionaire owners of the NFL can put their resources together and do something no one else can do…get fans in the stadiums next season!

We also have an NFL in London Facebook Group, so that you can stay up to date on all of the latest news and info regarding NFL activity in London.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/NFLinLondon

 

 

Wildcard Preview

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Are you ready to get Wild? You’re already getting wild enough America, what about the rest of you? All kidding aside, stay safe USA, we love you, and don’t want you to cancel any NFL with all your anger. It’s time for our Wildcard Preview podcast!

After 256 regular season games, we’re finally ready for the playoffs, and oh what a year it’s been. From Covid to no crowds-thanks to Covid, the 2020 season will certainly be one to remember (and for many others-one to quickly forget).

Wade & Ryan look back at the crazy week that was 17 in the NFL, from the big wins to the near misses. The boys reflect on the scores, and the elements that were needed for teams to clinch in this fun romp through the scores.
They also look ahead to the Wildcard Weekend in the NFL, previewing the 6 big games slated for Saturday and Sunday.

Among some of their predictions include:

Colts (11-5) vs Bills (13-3)
Bills -6.5  +52

It’s looking like a windy and snowy Saturday afternoon in Western New York, as the Bills look to starve the wounded Colts on the barren plains of Buffalo.
Indianapolis had the best O line in the league, then the injury bug came, and claimed some of their big dudes. Rookie Jonathan Taylor has had an epic season, and will be needed in spades on Saturday. If the Colts fall behind however, they will need Rivers to light it up against a staunch Buffalo D.
The Bills ended the season with a beat down of the poor Dolphins, and it’s hard to not see them carry that momentum to the next week. The team is fired up, and the return of John Brown means that they can now open up more space on the field.
Ryan and Wade are both hot on Buffalo, although as a Bills diehard fan Ryan is pretty nervous about this contest.
Ryan- Bills 30 Colts 20
Wade- Bills 28 Colts 21

LA Rams (10-6) vs Seahawks (12-4)
Seahawks -3.5  +47.5

The Rams limp into the playoffs with lingering questions at QB. Wolford was able to get the job done against a weak Cardinals team last week, but he now has given up some tape to Seattle as to how to handle his style of play. LA has really only gotten by thanks to their defence, and they are going to need them here against a wicked corp of talented receivers. Even if Goff does return, how effective is he really going to be?
Seattle is ready to cook, and Russ has been to the playoffs enough times to not get rattled. He’ll be playing at home in the windy cold, and finally has an offensive line of returnable players. If he can get enough protection in the pocket, he will have time to carve up the Rams holes.
Having Jalen Ramsey back will also be huge for the Seahawks, as he will take down the long game and potentially pick off a rookie mistake.
The Rams have been winning thanks to great clock management, but it’s a whole different game when the opponent can score quickly and repeatedly.
Wade & Ryan both think that Seattle will finally find their footing here, although Ryan thinks that this one will be pretty close.
Ryan- Seahawks 26 Rams 23
Wade- Seahawks 26 Rams 18

As for full winners tags weekend, the boys are agreed on every team.

WINNERS-Bills, Seahawks, Bucs, Titans, Saints, Steelers. 

DraftKings

Why not make the NFL playoffs even better by playing along with us on Draftkings? You can join our League and immediately jump into some fun and easy FREE and PAID contests of your liking. We’re all pretty cool guys, and love a bit of banter among the games.
Click on the link here and you’re ready to roll.
https://dkn.gs/r/kwxDR0JIokKPkA6cPjCtNA

That’s it for this week’s Wildcard Preview podcast. Have a listen, a laugh, and make sure you share it with your friends. We appreciate all of you for continuing to make the podcast rise up the charts.
Happy 2021, and a good NFL to you all!

Week 15 Preview

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The playoff picture is starting to come into focus as we head into our Week 15 Preview.
Wade McElwain & Ryan Cull hit the mic this week as they unleash their thoughts on a whole host of NFL banter.
The boys rant & rave on Fantasy Managers who fail to respond to emails, Fantasy playoffs, and all of the week 14 scores.
There were some big beat downs and upsets on Sunday, making for some interesting implications for the long cold winter ahead.
Wade & Ryan also make their predictions for all of the games in week 15, listen to the whole podcast so that you can make your bets for a great bunch of NFL games.
Among some of the games the boys make their picks on.

Panthers (4-9) vs Packers (10-3)
Packers -8.5 +51.5

Oh Carolina, what a season it’s been. Blowing out their C Mac early in the season took a toll on the Panthers as they just couldn’t put together all the pieces to salvage a winning season. They have had some great play from their wide receivers, and Davis has been a solid running replacement.
Aaron Rodgers is playing like an MVP, blowing away the opposition with countless torching touchdowns. Their D has some issues, as does their special teams, but they should bury the remainder of the regular season teams.
Ryan & Wade both like Green Bay for a win here, but the boys differ as to the spread. Ryan thinks this will get ugly, whereas Wade likes a close one.
Ryan- Packers 31 Panthers 20
Wade- Packers 30 Panthers 24

Patriots (6-7) vs Dolphins (8-5)
Dolphins -1.5  +41.5

Bill Belichick loves to muffle the flow of a rookie QB, so look out Tua! Cam Newton is a garbage toss-bag, so it won’t be likely for him to deep ball this game at all. Their D is another story however, so Tua will be forced into tossing the ball into their swift handed secondary.
Miami would be wise to make this a Fitzmagic match, as they can easily rest him for the next few tough matches to sneak that wild card slot. Buffalo will take the AFC East so Miami will need to b crafty in their next few games. Flores is known for his flair, so who knows what will happen.
South Florida is always tricky for New England in December, so who knows what this game will bring.
Wade & Ryan like wise old Bill here for an upset, although this will be close.
Ryan- Patriots 20 Dolphins 17
Wade- Patriots 21 Dolphins 20

Seahawks (9-4) vs Washington (6-7)
Seahawks -5.5  +44.5

Russell Wilson cooked last week thanks to the return of some of his top linemen. Now that he has protection, they can finally give him a pocket as well as get a running game simmering as well. DK Metcalf is a beast to cover, which leaves Lockett & a slew of TEs open if he has the time.
Washington is horrible with Haskins at the helm, so they will need Alex Smith back if they have a hope. With Gibson out for the match, it will be even tougher to plan against a Seattle defence that is finding its rhythm together.
Ryan & Wade both think that this game will bring some big time excitement, but Ryan is inclined to favour the Team to keep it close. Wade sees this breaking wide open for the birds.
Ryan- Seahawks 27 Washington 24
Wade-Seahawks 34 Washington 21

Other picks

Wade & Ryan have also made some other top picks to look at for Week 15. Here are some of the top lines that they like to make your Sunday more profitable.

Ryan-Eagles Win; Bears Win; Texans Cover; Steelers by 21.
Wade-Bears Win; Saints Cover; Cardinals Cover; Rams by 20.

DraftKings ‘NFL in London’

Make sure you join our DraftKings League so that you can play along with us in daily fantasy every weekend. We have a mix of FREE & PAID contests, so do sign up-it’s totally free. We often host DraftKings live parties during the regular season, & hope to do so once this crap all ends.
https://dkn.gs/r/kwxDR0JIokKPkA6cPjCtNA

Please make sure you subscribe to our podcast. We’ve seen a huge boom in listeners lately, so thanks for that. We love to talk NFL nonsense to share it with your friends this holiday season.