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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

 

 

Picks Six-Week 17

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THE PICKS SIX

Happy New Year! Welcome back to another edition of The Picks Six.  Please excuse our brief hiatus over week 16 (Christmas got in the way), but we’re back here for a special week 17 column. With a lot of uncertainty over exactly who is or isn’t playing I’m going to change things up and just touch on a few big games before highlighting our Parlay and all our game picks. It’s a bit of a different read than normal, but we’ll be back next week in full for the Wildcard slate of 6 (six!!) games over two days. I can’t wait. Let’s get stuck into the big storylines of this Week 17 Sunday.

The NFC East

The biggest conundrum of this weekend is exactly who is going to be the #4 seed (and receive a HOME playoff game!) in the NFC. The NFC East has been… an abomination at times this year, but in the latter stages of the year you could argue that all four squads have found some legs and improved significantly. Jalen Hurts has given life to the Eagles, despite them now being eliminated from contention. The Giants defense started to show up and Daniel Jones has proven himself to have been a much better choice on draft night than the projected pick for the Giants… Dwayne Haskins. 

Washington have heavily relied on their defense to keep them alive in the playoff race, with injuries to McLaurin and Gibson, combined with utter mediocrity everywhere else leaving them scrambling to stay ahead of the chasing pack. We also have no idea exactly how healthy Alex Smith is, or if it’s going to be at least partially the Taylor Heinicke show… And for the Cowboys, Andy Dalton has found rhythm in Dallas and despite Ezekiel Elliott’s struggles that wide receiver trio of Cooper, Gallup & Lamb is explosive enough to win this division without a consistent running game. Dallas looks perhaps the most complete team, and without ANY doubt if Dak Prescott had not got injured the Cowboys would have WALKED their way to this division title. And I think they still might…

I think the Cowboys will beat the Giants. Joe Judge has instilled a number of good things into this Giants’ team, but largely on special teams and defense. I’m yet to be convinced by their ability to move the ball downfield. The Cowboys are rolling and I think find a way to win in New York and mean all eyes turn to Sunday Night Football. Credit to Ron Rivera for turning this franchise around – I didn’t think they’d win 3 games, let alone find a way to beat the undefeated Steelers amongst others. But I think the dream dies Sunday night. Jalen Hurts is proving himself to be an NFL starting quarterback and will relish his first opportunity under the bright lights of a PrimeTime game. This game will really come down to can the Eagles O-Line stand up to the Washington pass rush. If they can, Hurts can – forgive me – “hurt” them down the field. I’m not convinced Smith will be 100% and I don’t believe this Washington team deserves to be a playoff team. I’m taking the Eagles and, therefore, the Cowboys to win the division.

Prediction:

NFC East Champion: Dallas Cowboys

The AFC Playoff Race

It’s fairly clear cut to me that the Titans will comfortably dispose of the Texans and lock up the AFC South crown, but everything else in the AFC is a bit more confusing. The Browns are struggling to contain COVID within their group as they face a must win against Pittsburgh, the Dolphins have lost their Week 16 Hero as FitzMagic has also tested positive for the virus, and the Colts know they need the Ravens (or others) to lose to have a shot of getting in. The Steelers and Bills themselves are still fighting over who is number 2 and who is number 3 in the seedlings too. It’s a wild Sunday slate. Basically – the short version is, I think all the teams that need to win will win. The Dolphins (my team) are perhaps the most at risk, but I’m hoping the Bills do the nice (and sensible) thing and rest Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs for at least part of this game. Brian Flores’ defense will stand tough regardless, as the Dolphins and Tua find a way to win a very close game and take themselves to Tennessee for wildcard weekend. I see no way the Ravens and Colts don’t beat the Bengals and Jaguars respectively, which leads us onto the big one: Cleveland vs Pittsburgh. The Browns have COVID issues, and the Steelers are resting their starters. This is a game Baker Mayfield HAS to win to end the longest active playoff drought for the Browns. They deserve to get in, and I think they have enough weapons – mainly Chubb and Hunt – to win this game and ensure they do. Sorry Phil Rivers, this ain’t your year. 

Prediction:

2 Seed – Buffalo

3 Seed – Pittsburgh

4 Seed – Tennessee

5 Seed – Miami

6 Seed – Baltimore

7 Seed – Cleveland

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Out – Indianapolis

Bears, Rams or Cardinals?!

Lastly, the final spot in the NFC is also in a pivotal spot. The Chicago Bears have suddenly discovered they’re allowed to pass the ball accurately, and actually score points on offense. You do wonder what would have happened if the Bears had stuck with Mitch rather than the ill-fated pivot to Nick Foles earlier this season – although admittedly, it was injury influenced. Anyway, just as the Bears have found their rhythm, the Rams have absolutely capitulated and almost thrown away their playoff spot. Defeat to the Jets (incredible) and the Seahawks (reasonable) have seen McVay’s men drop to 9-6, and now cannot feel safe. And NOW Jared Goff appears to be out, leaving John Wolford – who has never thrown an NFL pass before – as the Rams final hope. If the Bears win, and the Rams lose, LA would be on the outside looking in. This is even more realistic when you consider that the Rams opponents are the Cardinals who MUST win to get in. Arizona’s inconsistent season was highlighted by the loss to San Francisco last week, which took their destiny out of their own hands. That said, Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins have already fostered a great connection this year, and even Jalen Ramsey will have to admit how much of a struggle it will be trying to keep Hopkins in check. However, I think the Rams fears will be calmed by the soon-to-be MVP in Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers loves beating the Bears, and with the Packers needing a win to secure a bye and the #1 seed, I see no other outcome in that game. Which means the Bears would NEED the Rams to win to keep them in the playoffs. I may be in the minority in this, but I’m a believer in Kliff Kingsbury and his offense. The Cardinals win this game, steal the 6 seed, and eliminate the Bears.

Prediction:

6 Seed – Arizona

7 Seed – LA

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Out – Chicago

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The Parlay 

Last time out, we won our parlay! One push, 4 correct legs, and a nice healthy profit for anyone who backed it. Let’s end the regular season with a bang. We’re going SIX-fold this week.

Cowboys -1.0

As previously stated, the Cowboys look electric on offense right now, with the Red Rifle firing in Texas. Dalton’s weapons will carry the Cowboys to victory here.

Vikings -6.5

The Lions are really bad and are still missing their main weapon in Kenny Golladay. Also, with Dalvin Cook missing for the Vikings after a family tragedy (my condolences to the whole family), Alexander Mattison has a chance to put himself firmly in the shop window. He’s a talented running back, and with Thielen and Jefferson still catching passes, I see the Vikings running away with this one.

Patriots -3.0

Bill Belichick is not losing to Adam Gase’s Jets. It’s just not happening.

Packers -4.0

See above. The final chapter in Rodgers’ Revenge Tour. Packers all day.

Raiders -3.0

I know Gruden’s guys have been suspect of late, but Drew Lock and the Broncos are flat out awful. Average defensively, abysmal offensively. Raiders a clear winner here. 

Cardinals -3.0

This is maybe the riskiest one, but John Wolford isn’t beating Kyler Murray. I’m sorry. Cardinals win this game.

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The Full English (Season Record: 85-39)

Falcons @ Buccaneers – Buccaneers

Ravens @ Bengals – Ravens

Cowboys @ Giants – Cowboys

Dolphins @ Bills – Dolphins

Vikings @ Lions – Vikings

Jets @ Patriots – Patriots

Steelers @ Browns – Browns

Cardinals @ Rams – Cardinals

Packers @ Bears – Packers

Jaguars @ Colts – Colts

Chargers @ Chiefs – Chiefs

Raiders @ Broncos – Raiders 

Saints @ Panthers – Saints

Seahawks @ 49ers – Seahawks

Titans @ Texans – Titans

Washington @ Eagles – Eagles

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Next Week: WildCard

I cannot wait for back to back days with NFL playoff triple headers… it’s hard for me to give you a preview with none of the matchups confirmed, but if we go by my predictions, we’d end up with Ravens vs Steelers, Browns vs Bills, Buccaneers vs Cowboys and Seahawks vs Cardinals amongst others. Sounds good to me. As always, I’m @CallumJDSquires on Twitter and Instagram. Hope you all have a great week.

2021 Predictions

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Thank God 2020 is done! Who invited that idiot to the party anyway? Geez.  Now that the worst year ever is done and dusted, it’s time to look ahead to the year that will be, as we make our 2021 Predictions.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that you should never know what to expect in the NFL.
Covid was the main factor in the 2020 season, taking fans out of the games, and featuring a series of checks and balances that kept every team on their toes.
We’ve seen dynasties rise (Chiefs), fall (Patriots), continue to fall further (Jets), and teams that just implode on themselves in pressure situations. (Browns/ Falcons/ Jags).

So, what can we expect in 2021? Here are out top predictions.

No London Games

Covid 19 is still on the field, which means that everything planned is once again on hold. The London NFL games involve travel, meeting new people, and engaging with fans…all things that we still aren’t allowed to do under this new normal. With the London games usually announced in the spring, it would seem highly unlikely that the league would risk pushing ahead with UK games given the uncertainty of next season. It’s no secret that players and coaches aren’t fans of traveling across the pond to play games, so the looming spectre of 2021 Covid will be enough for the NFLPA to pump the brakes on London games. Teams would also find it difficult to get insurance for such a trek, not to mention the potential of having zero fans at Wembley, which would make it feel like a ‘Little Mix’ concert.

Covid Rules

It seems highly unlikely that we will have a vaccine and protocols in place for live sports viewing completed within the next few months, which means we will be once again under stricter protocols. While 2021 might be less rigorous in Covid control, there are still several billion people on the planet who are potentially at risk. We’ve already seen how the virus adapts to stay alive, which makes it the New York Jets of infections. Like the Jets, hopefully Covid still won’t have a chance next season.

Sports Bars Die

Don’t mix with other households. Don’t scream or yell. Don’t stand at the bar.
We got a brief glimpse of this in 2020, as governments cracked down on public gatherings in an effort to control the spread. With the virus still with us for the foreseeable future, these restrictions will continue to flex in and out as our frontline workers battle the ever changing nature of the beast.
Sadly sports bars will continue to suffer under this weight. Fans have already started to get use to watching at home, as well as saving money drinking at home.
While nothing can replace the excitement of watching sports with mates, the NFL will be a casualty to football.
We’ve already seen the Premier League move later on Sunday nights, making it an easier choice for bars to go with the low-hanging fruit of a football fan, rather than cater to niche American football fans.
The sports bar is in for a rough ride in 2021, and the NFL right along with it.

Not the Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs are primed to repeat as Super Bowl champions in 2021…or are they. If the year has taught us anything, it’s that anything can happen. Pittsburgh went undefeated to then lose to a bunch of losers and put their playoffs at risk. The Bears blew a huge run of games to expose their true talent. The Jets couldn’t even properly tank to get the best new player next year.
Everything you think is going to happen…doesn’t.
With that in mind, this year’s Super Bowl will not be made up of favourites.
Can the NFC East mount a challenger to go all the way? It’s happened before, and it can happen again.

Sam Darnold

‘To me, you are perfect’. Those are the kind of ‘Love Actually’ signs that Darnold could find popping up on his back porch. Adam Gase took a perfectly good, shiny new toy, and left it outside to rust. The Jets will move on from Gase and Darnold, which will allow a new suitor to pick him up and mould him into something other teams will fear.
That team? Why not the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rivers Retires

Old Man Rivers has been fortunate to get another run at the game after leaving the Chargers. Sure, the Colts have looked goodish, but Rivers isn’t the passer he once was. Like any man in his late 30s’, the balls are starting to drop and wobble more. Rivers has already hinted that this might be his last season, so a big Colts loss in the post season could have him call it a day.
Like other former Colts QBs who retire, he will be taken out behind the shed and shot in the head.

Bears Keep Trubisky

You can’t get rid of herpes, you can only contain its flares. Mitch has itched his way to the top of the shaft once again, pushing out points as the Bears make a late playoff squirt.
The best discharge scenario is to scrape Mitch from the tip, and start fresh and clean again…or is it?
No one is going to want to take a Trubisky Ride after seeing him spooge bad decisions every week, so the Bears might just want to wrap him up and keep him in the back pocket.
The Bears will need to rebuild a are program under a new QB, but until then, you gotta itch Mitch.

Bye Bye Julio

Julio Jones is as much Atlanta as a peach tree, but it’s time for this little peach to leave the farm. After all, what’s more vulnerable than a peach? Julio is getting on in years, and you wonder how much more he has left in the tank? With Hopkins and other older receivers still finding ways to make hay, it would seem logical that he test his skills on a new team in 2021.
Which teams would Julio make interesting in 2021? The Chargers, Broncos and Jaguars all could be interesting spots in 2021.

Among some of the other bold predictions we have for the 2021 season include:

-The Jaguars will make the playoffs in the 2021 season.
-Jimmy Garoppolo returns to the 49ers who mount a decent comeback.
-Matt Stafford moves from Detroit to either the Colts, Broncos, or Patriots. 
-Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson will turn the XFL into a viable spring league. 
-Dak resigns with the Cowboys, but they have another frustrating season. 
-Allen Robinson leaves the Bears for the Dolphins.
-Shaq Barret leaves the Bucs for the Patriots. 
-Kenny Golladay signs with the Colts.
-Tom Brady retires after the end of the 2021 season after losing once again in the NFC Championship final. 

Those are our predictions for the NFL in 2021, hopefully it’s not all that bleak and sad.
We all want the NFL to return to normal, to have games back in London once again, and for all of us to meet up together to share in the joy of the NFL games.
The sooner this happens, the better a place the world will be.

Good luck to everyone in 2021, happy new year.