NFL in London

National Football League in London

london 2020

New Predictions

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Week 4 of the NFL is here, and there are some new predictions based on Covid, injuries and other NFL news.
I have adjusted my picks due to injury reports that have been released on Sunday.
Fortunately, the Saints vs Lions game is still on, and the Patriots and Chiefs will either be played on Monday or Tuesday.

Here are some of the new scores that I have updated based on the new information.

Saints vs Lions

Detroit has some of their key defensive players back, and the Saints are lacking some of their top receivers.
The Lions are at home and are ready to rumble. I like the Lions to cover, or even win.
Detroit 31 Saints 28

Cardinals vs Panthers

The Cardinals injury report takes out 3 of their secondary. This will allow Teddy and Robbie Anderson to deep ball some damage to the Cards who have struggled against veteran receivers. The original line in this game was -3.5, but the Panthers at home are just too much to pass up.
Cardinals 30 Panthers 28

Seahawks vs Dolphins

The Seahawks are traveling across the country to a sweaty and hot stadium with no a lot of rest. Miami has been stellar at home, and have also had 10 days off after a Thursday night game. Russell Wilson is awesome, but his injury report is ghastly. The Seahawks will win, but the Dolphins have a chance to really cause some damage with a rested team.
Seahawks 33 Dolphins 26

Chargers vs Bucs

With the release of the injury report, it seems the Chargers will be without 3 starting offensive lineman. This is huge given the speed of the Bucs front D. Tom Brady will be looking to torch the kid despite missing Godwin. Mike Evans and Grink look to have a beast of a game here.
Bucs 24 Chargers 14

Giants vs Rams

When the original line was set at 13, I wasn’t ready to bite on the Rams being favoured by that much. Then I rewatched some of their earlier games and I felt reality kick me in the face. The Giants suck, and Jared Goff will light them up like a Roman Candle on Sunday.
Rams 33 Giants 18

Bills vs Raiders

The Raiders are now down 2 offensive lineman and 2 wide receivers. Facing an exceptional Josh Allen will only add to their woes. Allen survived a scare last week against the Rams, so he might be looking to make a statement here. A Stefon Diggs sized statement. This could get ugly.
Bills 28 Raiders 21

DraftKings

Make sure you play along in our DraftKings League so that you can enjoy all the Sunday action with us!
https://dkn.gs/r/kwxDR0JIokKPkA6cPjCtNA

Jeremy Hill in London

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Remember when London use to host NFL games? Good times. We brought back those good times with a TBT interview with former Bengals running back Jeremy Hill.

In 2016 the Bengals hosted the Washington team (formerly Redskins) in a fun filled affair at Wembley stadium. The game ended in a 27-27 tie, with Hill scoring the last TD for the Bengals.
It was the second tie of the season, which hadn’t happened previously in 1997.

We were fortunate to interview Hill at the Saracens Rugby ground in North London where we talked to him about numerous NFL things.
We chatted about the rise of Fantasy football and how players deal with it, as well as if he plays Madden, and which RB he uses in games.

Lastly we touched on the big issue…who does he think is the best player in the game.
The answer might surprise you.

We will be uploaded interviews from previous NFL in London games throughout this season, as we wipe a tear away from our eyes and think about the season that would have been here.

Which game did you think was the best of the NFL in London series thus far?

NFL Game Viewings

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For over 13 years, we have had the pleasure of putting on and hosting NFL viewing parties across London & the UK. We have hosted some amazing nights at iconic venues across the country,  met great NFL stars of present and past, as well as helped shaped the UK policy for public viewing.
Sure, we have also worked with some total D-hole promoters and venues, but that’s for another story

2020 however is the most unhinged year yet though, so we will let you know how we will be approaching NFL viewing parties.

Our main goal has always been to provide an authentic NFL viewing experience that allows fans to share in what a truly North American NFL night is like, as well as provide expats with a taste of home.
This involves finding venues that are centrally located, have loads of TVs, are willing to stay open late, and can commit to showing the games regularly.
This isn’t as easy as it seems, as football is still king in the UK, & venues & managers are particularly predatory when it comes to bringing in a new audience & keeping it, even if it means not providing a service.
Essentially they want to bend the promoter over backwards, not pay them, and then try to steal their audience without providing anything in return.
Which is often why we move around like a foster kid, we don’t want to you guys to get screwed over.
Pub chains are not like US bars, but local ones are.

In 2019 we focused more on private viewing parties, as they allowed us to show a bunch of games, stay open late, and offer food trucks and other authentic food until the tube reopened.
Then 2020 hit us a like a double doink in the butt-fumble.
Now we must adapt, so here are a few of the challenges we are dealing with this year.

Rules

Trying to understand the government rules on Covid distancing is like trying to explain the game of cricket to an American. The rules seem to change all the time, you have no idea who is in control, and the whole damn thing seems to last forever.
Even in recent weeks we have seen changes from ‘groups of 6 under only’, to the potential of a lockdown being imposed after 10pm. 10pm? On a Sunday night? That pretty much kills the NFL sports pub right there.
Like marriage it’s difficult to commit to the long haul if you think that your partner is crazy, so until the rules and virus have been somewhat managed, we are going to chill-ax this until it all becomes clear.
Add to this lower audio levels, no fan screaming, and distanced tables, and the whole sports night out loses its lustre.
Playing the Covid rules is like playing the Tom Brady Patriots at home, the rules will always change & not in your favour.
He’s moved on, and so can we.

Locations

Areas that use to be popular are now not popular because no one wants to risk infection, which means central London is pretty much a dead zone now. London has never really been a ‘late night’ city, which applies even more on Sunday nights when most pubs tend to shut at 10:30pm. We have previously worked with some of these loser pubs, who have no qualms about kicking fans out before the 6pm game has even finished. Totally classless.
Areas like Leicester Square, Camden, Victoria & Old Street are about as appealing to NFL fans as a ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ marathon now as it is mostly druggy drunks.
The big trend in 2020 is to ‘think global, but eat local’, meaning many neighbourhood pubs are more likely destinations for NFL parties.
We already work with some pubs in North and East London that are family owned and operated, and will be looking to help host NFL parties at these locations going forward.
Pop-Ups are also in the future for 2020, as they allow us to invite and control the event for your maximum viewing pleasure.
We are always on the look-out for new venues, locations and partners, so please get in touch.

Insurance

Promoters need to get promoters insurance in case anything happens to you lovely people on our watch. Insurance shows that we are not only legit, but that if we get sued as a result of something happening to a fan, we have a procedure in place. Sadly in 2020 it is impossible to get this insurance due to the unquantifiable nature of the virus and its resurgence. So if someone gets Covid at one of your events, you could be in some serious trouble. Pubs can’t get this either, but they just hope you can’t prove you caught it at one of their locations. This makes it very troubling for promoters of any kind, which is why live events are struggling to rebuild.

Special Events

We will be looking to host special events as the season progresses. This will of course depend on how bad of a beating the virus continues to lay down on society.
We are still planning on several Super Bowl parties for 2021, as well as playoff parties leading up to it.
What those will look like at this point are anyone’s guess.
Thanksgiving 2020 is also in the works, and we are working with a few venue partners to hopefully pull this off without Covid hitches.
Please watch this space for more info, and we will release news as the government trickles down their Corona double-speak.
If you are a venue, manager or promoter keen to host NFL events-please get in touch to discuss further.

We are also exploring hosting virtual NFL parties with ex players, weekly NFL quizzes that are interactive and loaded with prizes, and Madden e-gaming tournaments.
Again, this is all dependent on how this bloody year goes.

Most importantly is that we all stay safe and sane this season, and that the NFL continues to play without a hitch.
There might no ‘I in Team’, but there is one in ‘I really want the NFL’, and that’s what we need to focus on this year.

Please get in touch if we can help make your NFL viewing experience better this year!

 

 

All Time QBs

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Who is the best all time passing yards leader of all time? Well, it’s still on-so let’s take a look at the top leaders in NFL passing yards.

Brees vs Brady, as the 2020 season brings us two veterans who are poised for Hall of Famedom. Brees has the definite advantage in this contest & it’s hard to see Tommy beating him. Tommy is a fighter though, so it might be his last chalice of victory to achieve before he retires.

Brees

Brees is younger, faster, & has more to prove, continuing to blast huge yardage up every season. Sure he rips up domes, but he also knocks out the turf as well.

Brady

Brady is durable. It might be his last season in the NFL but his move to the Bucs seems to be the perfect fit. He has speedy legs, Gronk, & a punishing D. Could he rip a huge passing season or more with this corp?

It will be interesting in week 1 when these guys duke it out for QB supremacy. What a game that will be. There will be no fans, beer, or atmosphere…so this will be fun & new.

The Others

There aren’t many big legacy guys nipping at these titles. Mahomes is young, Wilson is inconsistent, & Rodgers doesn’t have the potential. These numbers could last for decades given the current climate of the NFL.

For now, at least we can play them in Madden.

London 2020 Games Update

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Patriots vs Dolphins at Tottenham? 2012 was the last time they came. It’s possible.

We have changed our predictions for the 2020 London games based on some recent info and projections for the season after CBA.
The Dolphins are coming, but who will they host. There’s a 1/8 chance, but the factors that mitigate who comes lead us to believe…it will be the Patriots!

Who will be playing in London in the four international matches of 2020?
We know a few teams thus far, but who will actually make it across the pond to entertain us hungry fans in this new decade?
Short answer-we don’t know yet.
There is much speculation as to who will come, and when you add in rumours, schedule confirmations, attendance and mitigating factors like who HAS to play here, we can come up with some pretty close projections.
There has been a pattern to when, who, and how teams are allocated to our fair city, so we have come up with our predictions of the London 2020 NFL International series.
NFL in London fan guesses.
Corona virus is also going to have a massive impact on the game going into 2020, especially if the NFLPA is realistically protective of their clan.

Please know that this not official (don’t sue us NFL), we are just having some fun, backed by some factish ideas. Feel free to comment of make your own conjectures.

Dates

The NFL is scheduled for four London matches in 2020. Once again, these would be divided equally between Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Wembley Stadium.
In the past the London dates have been held earlier in the season, between weeks 4-9, so as not to affect the US based schedule, travel, weather, holidays and fall attendance.
UK dates are also done in consideration of English Football and Champions League commitments for various clubs, who might need the stadiums as the season and Leagues move on in the autumn.
Previous London hosting have broken up the 4 weeks, which means a double/ double weekend within  September, October and November.
It’s tough to book out the city of London with so much going on, as well as hosting parties for a month straight.
Previous NFL UK events involved blocking Trafalgar Square, closing Regent street were great, but the security landscape has changed in scope and costs.
They will probably look to book Regent street again in late September, as it is also a good way to sell Gamepass.

Daylight Savings 
The NFL has also taken advantage of the daylights savings time difference between the UK and US, which occurs on Oct 25th & Nov 1st this year.
This means only a 4 hour difference which is more manageable for TV and travel & quite negligible for the players once they are in the UK.
2020 Schedule
NFL games will most likely start on Sunday September 13th, as the 10th is listed as the first Thursday, even though that would mean week 17 hits 2021.
It would mean that we would be looking at weeks 3-9, with London getting weeks 3, 4, 7 & 8.
Our prediction is Sun September 27th, October 4th, 25th, and November 2nd for London to host games at Tottenham & Wembley respectively.

Denver Broncos vs Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons name has been confirmed by Arthur ‘Blankity’ Blank as being a London player in 2020. He acknowledged in an interview that they were playing the Broncos, which is confirmed by various other sources in Denver.
With this AFC/ NFC matchup in the books, there will mostly be divisional matchups after this, as to not get owners knickers in knots.
Given that this one is the first confirmed, it will most likely be the first as they have had to alert their season ticket owners that London is in the works, so book now.
The Broncos haven’t been here since 2010, and the Falcons since 2014, so it makes sense since both of their home attendance records have been slow.
We predict that this will be the first game in week 3 at Tottenham. 

New England Patriots vs Miami Dolphins

Miami is in for a London home game as of Feb 2020.
That settles the debate on the last home team, so it’s only a matter of looking at their home schedule projection & who hasn’t been here recently.
Miami hosts their division rivals as well as the Chargers, Chiefs, Rams, Seahawks & Bengals.
All of these teams have been here recently, save the Chiefs.
There is no way the SuperBowl champs are risking a repeat on an Atlantic journey.
New England Patriots haven’t been here since 2012 the Bills in 2015. The Bills have stadium issues, but the Pats might look to spin the story to the continent.
It’s their turn.
Don’t forget, it’s also about who has a stadium problem, attendance problem, or fan problem. And if Tom Brady leaves, they have a problem.
What if one of the reasons for his hold out is having to go to London?
While the players aren’t keen on it, it’s amazing for the game-but try selling that during the CBA when owners want you to work another week of body damage for the same pay.
Give ’em weed, give ’em London.
The Patriots would make the most sense if the Brady era ends, Bostonians would be shell shocked & less likely to watch their team lose to a second rate QB.
It will be an AFC East rival, but who?

We predict Patriots vs Dolphins week 4 at Tottenham.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville has officially confirmed that they will play back to back London ‘home’ games to make ticket money. They were a hot sale a year ago, but somehow fell down the stinkhole once again.
Fans will be looking for some Minshew Mania or any kind of miracle to turn this team around again.
Sadly, the best hype the team had last year was on the Netflix series ‘The Good Place’.
The Jags are going to play at Wembley. They always have, and despite the bidding to buy it being stalled/ killed/ murmured, he has a tie to the place and it is his home stand.
Jacksonville has usually played the last of the London games, and will probably do the same this year.
Hopefully by the end of October they will have chalked up some wins.
We know that they have to play the Steelers and the Bears at home, which leaves 6 home games potentially for London.
Those 6 include: Texans, Colts, Titans, Browns, Dolphins & Lions.
The Texans & Titans were recently here, so that rules them out.
Miami has been announced as an international team in either London or Mexico, but it would seem logical Miami would go to Mexico given the massive Latino fanbase.
Cleveland was also here a few years ago, and it might be a tough sell to the players given the ego and salary stipulations.
That leaves us with the Colts and the Lions, both of whom are also struggling.
The Lions have been rumoured in local press, which smells like a Michigan scoop.
Indy is still reeling from losing Andrew Luck, so they might need a year or two to get the star power buzzing again.
Detroit has November issues with Thanksgiving, so we see them as the last of the games to give them a break before the schedule gets nutty at home.
The Colts will most likely pile in the week before, as they lack the star power to challenge playing a London game, & their young squad might be keen to get their Europe on.
We predict Colts vs Jags week 7, and the Lions vs Jags week 8 at Wembley. 

2019 SuperBowl

The 2019-2020 is officially over, and what a wonderful way to end the season.
SuperBowl 54 will go down as one of the best ever, with a heroic comeback by QB Patrick Mahomes, whose poise and calm outshone his years in an epic battle.

A fantastic job by the Kansas City Chiefs, and their whole organisation for owning the AFC and using the ‘comeback’ to their advantage.
Every time you saw them down, it was like watching Hulk Hogan of the 80s’ simmering as he takes the blows, only to explode with a phenomenal leg-drop of the opposition.

The San Francisco 49ers displayed an awesome presence throughout the whole season. From being a losing team the year before, they gouged their way through offences and used their legs to power through hapless D’s.
They almost had it. It was close. You could smell it. Amazing.

Congrats to both teams, the fans, and of course the NFL for giving us this great game of entertainment every Sunday.

We will be looking to do big things in London in 2020, please get in touch.