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Wild Draft Predictions

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Life is like a box of chocolates.
Either it gets picked apart by your family, gives you diabetes, or is accidentally left in a car and melts into a goopy puddle.
The point being, you can never be too sure. 

Every year, the NFL Draft hits us with someone wild and wacky-and this year could be no different.
What kind of insane in the membrane trades, moves and hustles could happen in Cleveland this year?
That’s why we have our 2021 Wild Draft Predictions. 

In the NFL the crazier…the more entertaining. 

Pundits and prognosticators have all pulled their polls to make their sure thing bets.
But are they sure things?
Trevor Lawrence is first out and off to the Jaguars? Maybe.
https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/nfl/draft-odds/
Kyle Pitts can play every position. Really?
The Bears will screw up the draft…ok, that’s possible. 

To honour the wackiness that is the NFL Draft, we have tallied a bunch of ‘out there’ predictions for the 2021 NFL Draft.
From fades to trades, bold calls to wild conjecture….we have it all for you.

So let’s get in with some of the most out there NFL predictions to cover our betting butts. 

1. Trevor Lawrence to the CFL

Can you smell what the Rock is cooking? Well the NFL couldn’t.
After a blockbuster move to secure the XFL and partner it with the CFL, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson makes his biggest move by convincing Trevor Lawrence to eschew the NFL and head north young man.
Lawrence heads to Saskatchewan to train with the Roughriders, before taking over his own franchise the Newfoundland Nuggets. 

2. Justin Fields Forever

Rumours began to circulate that something was up with Justin Fields, and that perhaps he wasn’t what or whom he appeared to be.
On Draft Day that becomes apparent when the Zoom camera pans in on Fields and his family, only to reveal Colin Kaepernick.
As it turns out, Colin has kidnapped Fields and his family for one last shot at greatness.
Despite numerous blood transfusions and bone grafts Kaep once again fails to deliver for his team.
Fields is eventually released by Colin and the captors, but once again-the damage is already done. 

3. Manziel Mania

The NFL Draft is in Cleveland?
Johnny Manziel is ‘Mr Cleveland’!
Manziel decides to take his shot at crashing the 2021 NFL Draft to promote his new vaccine ‘Johnny Football’, aptly named as it is made from rendered pigskin.
To promote the event, Manziel hires idiot/dunce Jake Paul to deliver the vaccines to people by ‘punching it in their face.’
Paul uses the platform to announce his upcoming fight against the all of the patients in a children’s hospital.
If the children can beat him, he will give them a ‘shout-out’.

4. Jets get an 8 Ball

After years of bad draft picks, the New York Jets have let it slip that they have a new tool for drafting this year…the Magic 8 Ball.
Instead of using sports science, the Jets are opting to let magic be their guide to post season glory.
New head coach Robert Saleh will franticly shake the ball prior to each round to find their ‘yes’ ‘no’ and ‘maybe’s for 2021.
Unfortunately for Saleh, owner Woody Johnson likes the ‘pluck’ of the 8 ball and decides to fire all of his coaching staff to let it coach the Jets in 2022.
They make it to the AFC final. 

5. Ballin’ Bezos

Jeff Bezos is rolling in it.
From the billions he made from selling off Amazon shares, to his neighbours wife who he took just because he could…everything is rolling up JB!
Bezos goes full baller this NFL Draft when he rolls in without a team and announcing ‘I’m not leaving here without my own team.’
Jaws drop, wallets are rummaged and Bezos walks out with not one, but 2 NFL teams. 

Amazonian Jeff not only snags the Chargers for his trophy case, but also snags the Buffalo Bills ‘in case he wants wings.’
As he leaves, Bezos ‘makes it rain’ dolla bills, with images of Usher on every bill. 

Those are our bold predictions for the 2021 NFL Draft, what are yours?
Make sure you listen to our post Draft podcast this week to see how close we all were.

2021 Wins

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Winner, winner, chicken dinner!
A phrase you might hear ripping through the cavernous casinos of Las Vegas of olde, but not so much these days.
But now we’ll take a look at the 2021 wins.

British betting giant William Hill has already taken a look at the 2021 NFL teams, and released a set of projected win totals for teams this season.
If you’re a betting fan, you can look at these odds and think ‘malarky, I’ll have a bet on that!’
Or you might get pumped up with anger that the betting world thinks so lowly of your team.
Or…you might be a Jets fan.

It comes as no surprise that the ‘super league’ teams of the NFL have the most predicted wins for the 2021 season.
The Kansas City Chiefs once again emerge as the big favourites, with the pundits picking them to win 12 games in 2021.
Of course, it doesn’t matter how many wins you get if you’re going to eventually lose to the Buffalo Bills.

Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heralded to win 11.5 games this season (yes, .5 of a game), in a testament to the champs tuning up their late season surge in 2020 to open a bigger can oh whoop-ass.
The champ always has a target on their head, and the Bucs will be ‘the team’ other teams will use to set as their playoff bar.
This number might even go up higher if Julian Edelman decides to jump out of the broadcasting booth.

Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens are both predicted to win 11 games by William Hill, despite lingering questions on both sides.
Aaron Rodgers has been asking questions all off-season like ‘Why am I filling in for Alex Trebek?’, ‘Why do people care about my personal life’, ‘Can I host Jeopardy full time’ & ‘They’re never going to get me a #1 receiver, are they?’
Lambeau is turning into an NFC north drama, and if the Packers don’t make it far enough to choke in the NFC final again, maybe they will show Jordan some Love?

Baltimore is an interesting pick for 11 wins given their up and down past 2 years.
The Ravens are missing several key players to make a threatening push for the playoffs, and unless Lamar Jackson is given a porta-potty-tent on the sidelines, his heroic ‘number two’ performances may become less frequent.
Baltimore feels like they’re still discovering the pronoun that they want to describe them.
Are they a ‘running team’, a ‘passing threat’, ‘Lamar’s Lament’ or a ‘Harbaugh-apocalypse’?

Pumping out with a projected 10.5 wins are the LA Rams and Buffalo Bills, both of whom will be massive threats to the two previous teams.

The Rams finally have their QB to go with that staunch defence and solid coaching by McVay. Unlike the previous Rams appearance in the Super Bowl, this feels like a whole new team with more options and attack than ever seen before.
LA will be looking to showcase their ‘post-off’ body, and the NFC is going to see a whole different Rams team.
Look out Green Bay.

Buffalo Bills predicted to win less games than the Baltimore Ravens? Pishaw! Josh Allen was the sweetheart of the league last year, racking up loads of touchdowns, highlights and ‘aww shucks’ moments.
Buffalo has always been that underdog team that America forgets about, and Canada wishes was theirs.
Although their stadium sucks, it starts snowing in September, and Rachel Bush posts more Insta than the city itself…they have wings.
Both chicken and spiritual wings that guide them through collapsable tables.
And this season, the Bills should be flying high.

Among some of the other win projections that seem off:

Cleveland Browns-10 Wins

The Browns won 10 games in 2020, so why are they predicted to win the same amount this year? Cleveland is a way better team than last year and were a victim of circumstance as much as they were tools of their own ineptitude.
Browns will win more than 10.

Indianapolis Colts-10 Wins

It’s the Carson Wentz led Colts, with a projected win total of 10. Really? The Colts limped into the last half of the 2020 season like they ran half the Grand National before dumping the rider and trotting along to the finish.
They had one of the best O-lines and used Jonathan Taylor well to gash for yards…then they lost tough games.
With other teams spending huge and others looking for fresh blood, it’s hard to believe that they can win 10 in 2021.

Are you ready for the NFL Draft?
We will be making our predictions shortly, as well as on our next podcast.

Make sure you like our Facebook page as well!

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

 

Free Agent Fiesta

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Dak signs a massive Dallas contract, Tom Brady rejigs his contract to give more money to the team, and Drew Brees finally retires.
The 2021 NFL season is about to begin, so it’s time for a Free Agents Fiesta podcast!

This week, Wade & Ryan look at some of the top news in the league, as well as offering some insight into where they think some of the biggest players in the league might end up.
So many players available, and so many teams with gaping holes in their teams.

Just think, a year ago we had NO IDEA that Tom Brady would sign with the Bucs, bring in Gronk, then march his way to winning a Super Bowl. But then here we are.
What are some of the other big signings this offseason that could resonate to the start of the new NFL season?
Let’s have a look, shall we?

Cam Newton

After a tough season with the Patriots, Cam is back! And Boston is feeling it!
Cam Newton finished last year ranked 22nd amongst active quarterbacks, and only had 8 passing touchdowns.
Without the Pats, Cam would be looking for backup work this season, as his inaugural start with New England was less than stellar.
Luckily for him, Bill Belichick is cashing in his faith chips with Cam, and will most likely reward him with…a backup role.
The Patriots will be looking to either draft or trade for a QB this season, and having the 3rd highest amount of Cap Space would hurt either.
Ready to ride the pines Cam?

Chiefs

Kansas City has been struggling with cap space all year, and it all had to come to a close when the Chiefs released Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher.
Fisher famously ruined himself prior to the Superbowl, so it’s not a massive loss for the team.
The Chiefs will need to find some guys to block for Mahomes lest he go the way of Joe Burrow this season.
The road ahead gets a lot tougher when you’re pinching pennies.

Bear Necessities

What a pickle the Bears find themselves in. With two less than average QBs on the roster, an expensive defence, and a wicked wide receiver who doesn’t want a tag. What’s a team to do?
Knowing the Bears, they will probably mess it up-giving away too much for too little, and getting nothing in return.
Chicago will need to be patient in the post season, let every other team scramble for what they think are the best/last players, then move in for an inexpensive & smart move.
Stop bum rushing the plays, and let them come to you.

Cap Space

Covid totally crushed the cap space for this season, so teams are going to have to get innovative if they want to stretch their dollars.
Jacksonville once again is Mr. Moneybags, with a luscious $73.6 million to spend on fancy pants players.
Interesting the next two teams on the list the NY Jets and New England Patriots. With both teams boasting just under $70 million in space, they should be able to target some of the top talent to broaden their squads.
But does anyone want to come to New England anymore?

London NFL Games

The good news is that the UK should have crossed the threshold of vaccinations by the end of the summer, allowing life to get back to normal. Hooray!
The bad news is that we won’t be able to let anyone in for a year or so.
While the world battles covid, new variants, and the logistics of vaccination passports, the real question is ‘will anyone be able to enter the UK’?
Sadly thus far it looks like the answer is ‘computer says no.’
Jaguars coach Urban Meyer is confident that they will play at least 1 regular season game here this year.
Hopefully we will all know more soon.

Have a listen to the latest podcast. Then rinse, repeat and listen again.

Season Starter

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The Super Bowl is a distant hangover for some, as we all get set to reset, and begin the 2021 NFL season. While the season kicks off on September 9th, player options and clauses start to get figured out on March 18.
So what happens until then?
We break down some of the news in Season Starter podcast.

The sun is shining in the UK, and it’s not just down to global warming.
Boris’ Blighty is on track to to vaccinate all Brits sometime this summer, which means the UK will be open for sporting business in 2021! Or should be, according to estimates.

With the London NFL games a ‘go’, there are still too many questions to answer before we get an idea what could happen.
How many teams would come? How many fans can attend? Can foreign fans attend? What if the NFLPA doesn’t want to come? What if there is another variant? What if Tom Brady just wins it all again anyway.
Too many questions to answer.

Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull take this podcast to not only channel all of their remaining energy into NFL joy, but also touch on the following hot topics.

JJ Watt

The big man gets a big deal, and does what all NFL players do when they get old-head to the sunshine to rest the bones. Watt is Arizona bound, as the often broken 32 year old signed a new contract to be with Baby Yoda Murray.
This 2 year, $31M contract rewards Watt if he can finally help the Cardinals plug the gaping holes in their D.
Arizona could have just built a border wall instead and saved some money.

Alex Smith

Aside from being a leg model, the outlook for Smith doesn’t look good this season.
Washington needs the room to allow Heinicke to implode, so Smith will be shown the door despite his heroics to return to the squad.
Smith is a smart QB, but you won’t find too many teams willing to uncover their eyes to watch him play.
A backup somewhere, but a starter…unlikely.

Brees Freeze

Brees loves the bling, so it’s no wonder that he sees himself as a diamond in the rough.
But will Drew really try to hang on for one more season?
The Saints looked finals bound until Brees broke 19 ribs in a crunch session. 19 ribs? How many do we have?
Drew only costs the Saints $1M per season, so maybe he does return.
Screw you Jameis, this is my team again.

17 Weeks

The NFL is wringing out the players to squeeze another game into the regular season. NFL preseason fans are livid, but since there are only 3 of them-no one really cares.
This new schedule will push the Super Bowl back to the second week of February, and means that there will be more Christmas games this year. Ho Ho Ho.
What no one talks about is how the records are affected.
One more game can be a huge difference in the overall stats, and can skew the records of some the early GOATs.
But at least we get another game right?

London Games

We still don’t know what will happen with the 2021 London NFL games, but we are patiently waiting. Thanks to that ass-clown Covid, the sporting world is a very different place and we need to wait it out.
While it’s a good thing that the UK is ahead of the world in terms of vaccinating the peeps, it doesn’t bode well for foreigners looking to come here for fun and frolic.
If there are London games, they might only be available to UK citizens, which would be…awesome.
Of course, we will let you know if we hear anything.

In the meantime, enjoy the podcast. Listen, laugh, lather, share and repeat.

Super Bowl Food

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Game day is here, and we’re all stuck at home getting fat.
So what do you have on tap for Sunday in terms of food and fixins?
Since we all can’t gather in public, it’s time to consider your nosh options for watching SuperBowl 55 in the UK.  So here are some ideas for some Super Bowl food to make your Sunday Funday.
It’s great, it’s on real late, it’s Covid times.

Our American counter parts often make us jealous of their hormone laden food choice pairings, meal deals, influence & indulgence, but we’re alone in the UK, so make your own Sunday Funday menu.
I’m a Canadian farm boy, Bears fan, bbq geek, lazy ass, who loves to throw NFL parties, so I’m going to offer my best Super Bowl Food tips for Sunday.
These recipes are based on parties of less than 6, so none of us get arrested.

Delivery

Seriously the best option for the lazy Super Bowl watcher. Pop & lock your phone to Grease Street and Delivepoo or Must Eat yourself to ease. Problem is that kickoff is 11:30pm GMT, so you won’t really get something warm and ready.
Consider the indie. There are loads of great independent restaurants that are offering eat in options of their food. This makes it easy for anyone to follow instructions and heat up when needed.
Timing is everything, so make sure that you balance the warming times of your meats and sides.
Don’t try to pull off the fact you didn’t make it though. In a game of transparency, call out the teammates of delivery.

Wings

Chicken wings are easy to do, and a staple for NFL viewing. Wings are full of fat, so it’s good to boil them first for a few minutes to render it off for a crispy result.  Throw them in heavily salted boiling water until white, then dab, and oven dry at 30c with a few pats of a towel to get all the water out. Put the wings in a bag of seasoning to rope up the goodness & put in the fridge to cool before cooking. Baked wings work best with this method, but make sure you get the air flow going to circulate the meat. As soon as they’re crispy to your liking, pull them out and shake them in a bowl of your best sauce. Serve hot.

Nachos

Nachos are a tough treat in the UK, because we lack some of the basics to make them really cook.
A proper corn tortilla is key to nachos, as well as knowing what stays dry and what stays wet.
Nacho amateurs will be quick to splooge the nachos in salsa, dips and juices prior to cooking, but you need to be patient. We all have our ideal nachos, so listen to your crew who is going to eat it.
As for chips, Marks & Spencer sells a close to authentic Cantina Tortillas which are more viable than the UK Dorito options. Salty, crispy and a solid balance.
Nacho reminder…
It’s better to basic and cheese first…then to toss a bunch of shit on and piss everyone off.

Chili

I’m doing a beef short rib chili for Super Bowl Sunday, and a slow cooker/ crock pot is key here. A good chili ideally takes at least 8 hours to cook, 24 if you want full flavour, and 48 hrs if you’re cooking human (wikipedia).
If you’re cooking ribs get a butcher to help you out. Trim all the fat first as it makes for greasy chili, then braise the meat by either a bbq or in an oily pan. Don’t cook it fully, just give it a crisp then trim the fat again and put in in the slow cooker. Add beans, tomatoes, lentils, whatever the flock you want for a chili. Have fun with it. The idea of a chili is to cook all the crap you couldn’t eat before, but you boiled it down with some stuff.
As a Bears fan, that’s my season.

BBQ

Cook meat like you want to eat it, not like you want to hurt it. Living in Britain for 15 years have shown me how mean some foodies can be to their potential next course. Chicken is supposed to have moisture after being on the bbq, not to look like it’s a chimney sweep apprentice.
If you want to eat it, watch it, and give it time to rest.

If you’re going to Super Bowl BBQ, keep it quick and focused. All beef hot dogs are a great treat if you can find them in the UK, although a package of 5 cost me £10, so be prepared to pay. They’re good quality too, not just regular old lips and assholes

Enjoy your Super Bowl and reach out for any menu tips.
If you want to learn how to cook any other greasy, comfort food, let me know.

Good eating everyone, and enjoy Super Bowl 55. We’ll all be back eating with each other again soon.