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Feb Football News

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Holy crap, is football really over? Has anyone started to go through withdrawal yet, or get a massive case of the shakes?
Well, we can help you out with a round up of some of the latest Feb Football news.

If you are suffering from some of these symptoms, try to digest the following, and make sure you watch plenty of old games.
The XFL is also on, but ughhh…so let’s start there.

XFL

Can you smell what the Rock is cooking? ‘Cause it’s smells a bit undercooked, as the XFL kicked off its third incarnation in mid Feb 2023.

When Vince McMahon first birthed the XFL in 2001, many had hoped that the league might remain and offer a building block of rosters for the NFL.
Sadly it collapsed just like his WWE dreams, before it was saved by one of his former employees.

The Rock had tried to revive the league, partner it with the CFL, then took a safety in 2021 when the then ‘coronavirus’ punched any hopes of the league restarting right in the throat.

So how did it do on its return to the airwaves in 2023?
Meh.
Ratings are down huge from 3.3 million in 2020, to well under 1.6 million for the new games.

To put that in perspective, that’s LESS than both the launch of the AAF and the 2022 debut of the USFL, which brought in over 3 million viewers.

The XFL does benefit from being on both ABC and ESPN, so there is hope for the league if they continue blasting it to bored fans.

Not so easy for us to watch in the UK though, with games not starting til roughly 1am.

Some clever clog on Reddit made a concept for an XFL expansion. We’ll just leave that here for you.

Chad Ocho

NFL legend Chad Ochocinco has dropped a big bomb on fans that he actually lived at the Cincinnati stadium during his first two years in the league.

Ever clever and good for sound bites, Ocho revealed on a recent podcast that given the Bengals stadium had showers, food, video games and more, it made sense for him to live there to save some dosh.

While no one can officially confirm that Ocho did actually live there for 2 seasons, it would be on par with the behaviour of a celebrated bon vivant of the league.

How cool would it be to play Madden on the Jumbotron when you had the stadium to yourself?

Pay Brady

Tom Brady needs money y’all, so someone else has just dumped a truck load of cash to his Florida bachelor pad.

SiriusXM has renewed Tommy’s ‘Let’s Go’ podcast with former NFL’er Larry Fitzgerald and broadcaster Jim Gray, for more cashola.

TB12 isn’t required for his 10 year broadcasting deal with FOX, in which he will make another $375 million.

Of course that won’t mean anything, if the Dolphins or 49ers get to that point in the season where they just need one top QB to get them to the promised land.

He’ll be back…

Free Agents

As we all patiently wait for the 2023 NFL Draft, eyes are on some of the top prizes in the game, and where they might end up next season.

Some of the big guys everyone will be watching includes:

Lamar Jackson

Will the Ravens be foolish enough to part with Lamar, or are they planning on building a team around him?
The ‘will they’ or ‘won’t they’ has become so infuriating with Baltimore, it feels like the romantic twist in a bad sitcom.
We predict that he will stay in Baltimore for next year and beyond.

Geno Smith

Geno was initially seen as a stop gap solution when he beat out Drew Lock to captain the Seahawks last season. Then Geno went off, and the whispers of ‘MVP’ started circling given the way he was able to sling some Seattle wins together.

So will the Seahawks pony up and pay the man?
Seems pretty bloody likely given how well he played for what he was paid.
Had their running game not gone to crap, maybe they could have made the post season.

Derek Carr

This Carr cracker crumbled in 2023, after his much hyped Las Vegas Raiders ate a big turd-burger despite some pretty marquee talent.

Carr is gone from Vegas despite promising fans that the Raiders would be the last team he would play for. He can still sling the pig skin, so it makes sense that he plays a few more years, before taking his fugly-jug to the broadcast booth next to his gorgeous bro.

We see Derek Carr heading down to New Orleans next year to lead the Saints to a losing record.

London Games

Are you ready for the Bills, Titans and Jaguars to come to London this year?

Us too, and we’ll let you know more as soon as we hear about it.

Make sure you check here for all the latest news, and thanks for reading our Feb Football News.

https://www.nfl.com/uk/international-games

 

 

Goodbye Goat

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Well we all knew it was going to happen eventually, as Tom Brady finally announced his second ‘official retirement’, as we say Goodbye Goat.

At 45 years old, TB12 has played in the NFL for 23 years, with over two decades in Boston, and then the final in Tampa.
The acronym of ‘GOAT’ was originally applied to him, and it’s hard to see anyone taking that title away from him in this lifetime.

Sure, it was only a year ago that Tommy retired for 6 weeks, only to return for hist worst season ever at the Bucs.
This time the retirement feels real, but let’s see how many QBs the 49ers lose in 2023.

By Numbers

Looking at Brady’s stats per decade, he could easily make the Hall of Fame each and every decade based on his own performance.
His numbers in his 40s are staggering, including two Super Bowl titles.

Brady ends his career as the all time passing leader (89, 214 yards), most touchdown passes in the regular season (649), not to mention most pass attempts (12,050) as well as most completed passes (7753). When it comes to the digits, Brady crushes them all.

Let’s also not forget the SEVEN SuperBowls that Brady as won, that has also rewarded him with 15 Pro Bowls (who cares about Pro Bowls?) These numbers don’t even include his post season numbers, which push Tommy boy so out of reach of the regular human QBs that he plays against.

TV Time

The future for Brady looks bright, as he signed a ridiculous 10 year broadcasting contract which will keep him on our TVs for the next decade or so.
Unless he sucks.
We haven’t really had a full induction to the TB12 broadcast booth ways, and as much as people were initially enamoured over Tony Romo, the amount of schtick he took this year was surprising.

Don’t expect him to be doing any of that goofy colour-commentator crap, Tommy’s too good for that.

Brady Future

While it might be an end of era, it is also the signal for a new generation to step up and set their own records.

Most QBs in the NFL today grew up watching Brady and emulating his heroics on playgrounds across America.
Now that the GOAT can finally rest, it’s time for this new legion of stars to step up and make their own mark.

So thank you Tom Brady for showing us how truly magical it is to watch a player who was so clutch it hurt.

Also thanks for leaving Boston and silencing those very annoying fans.

We can all sleep a little easier at night with them quiet.

Thanks for everything GOAT!

Just maybe not thanks for this.

Playoffs and London Games

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And then there were 8 teams left as we head into the divisional round, as we look at our Playoffs and London Games and all the news ahead.

It’s been a wild and upheaving few weeks in the NFL, and we’re now building up to the final four, as the league gets bumpy in the Divisional Round.

Playoffs

The 49ers were first through the gate, with a solid thumping of the Seahawks in a dismal day for Geno. Brock was Purdy indeed, relying on a solid San Fran team to push them through to a next round match-up with the Cowboys

For anyone who has ever blown a Charger, you know how much that really sucks. Well imagine blowing 27 Chargers all at once (not PornHub dirty minds).
San Diego Angeles got rocked by Trevor and the Jags who took the Staley out of the situation for a sweet win, and a next round date with the Chiefs.

Buffalo survived a tight contest against Miami, eeking out a last minute win to seal their move to the next round. The Bills didn’t look great, but they got it done and now face a fierce Bengals squad.

Daniel Jones and the Giants have had a Cinderella story to get them this far, with big ole Dabol and his winning smile cheering on the G Men to victory.
Minnesota went out like a turd that didn’t even a double flush, although Kirk Cousins chains hung a little lower after another disappointing run.

Joe Burrow and the Boys faced a tough Ravens D in the Wildcard Weekend, and were able to stomp out JT Huntley, and a Ravens squad that sorely lacked Lamar and many other options.
Cincy is started to chili cook in the AFC again, and they have to face Bills squad they were smacking around until the Hamlin incident.
A great game lies ahead.

TB12 was actually TB14 on Sunday, as Dak and ‘dem Boyz were able to rout the Bucs on their home pirate ship.
Dallas actually looked good, which was quite impressive after some recent hiccups.
The Bucs looked flat, with everyone playing like it was their last game of the season, and not in an inspired way.
How far can Dallas go now?

London Games

Good news NFL in London fans, the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, and Jacksonville Jaguars will all host London contests in 2023.

The Bills and Titans will both host home games at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Northeast London, while the Jags will make it a Wembley affair in Northwest London.

Germany gets two games in 2023, with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs all playing. Given how amazing the German fans were in 2022, it’s well deserved that they get to host two for the world.

No dates have yet been announced, nor has the opponents for these games been either, as the league typically reveals these in the early spring.
We of course will do our own due diligence to guess who those matches might be, and we’ll let you know that soon too.

Info from Tottenham Stadium is here.

https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/2023/january/nfl-announces-designated-teams-for-2023-international-games/

Tom and Aaron

Now that Tommy and Aaron are out of the playoffs, the buzz and gossip is what is going to happen to these two in the offseason?
Will they stay in their respective teams? Move on to warmer playing fields? Retire? Host a dating show together where they both travel the world meeting gorgeous women?
All sound possible.

Tom Brady
As for Tommy Boy, the oddsmakers have his first possible destination is lovely Las Vegas at +350.
Carr is out, and Sin City might be TB12’s playpen if the price is right, and the Raiders have any money left.
Miami is the second choice at +450, which seems a bit given the fine the Dolphins were given for trying to mix themselves up a little Tommy Boy cocktail a few years ago. If Tua’s multiple concussions are a sign (and they should be), Miami might need a good QB for that flight of speedsters they have at receivers.
San Francisky is frisky in third at +500. Depending on what Purdy is able to accomplish for the Niners this year, they might be in need to bring in an old stud to mentor Trey Lance while he mends.
Staying in Tampa is a fifth option at +750. Hey, they won the Super Bowl a few years ago, so if the Glasers pony up some money to build the team he needs, who knows?
Last but not least is retirement at +600.
Actually last is the Jets at +900, but c’mon!

Aaron Rodgers
Aaron is a bit of oddball, because his journey could be sent on a tangent if he goes on a bad trip during the offseason.
A sea of supple influencers awaits A-A-Ron, so he knows who might appear on his feed and take him off a  road that doesn’t involve the NFL.
Oddsballs have Rodgers first choice being back in Green Bay at +200.
The 49ers are next on this Cali boy’s destination, with him pipping Tom with +450.
Las Vegas is also in the cards for AR, as the house has him coming in at +575.
Retirement looms even closer for Rodgers, who might want to gameshow his way to the bonus round of life, and end it all. His NFL career, not his life.
Ending his life would be signing with the Jets at +1200, or the Colts at +1500.
Might as well put a bell on his neck and give him a goat for company as you put them out to pasture.

As for us, we think Brady goes to the 49ers, and Rodgers goes to Vegas.
The goat and the old horse still got a little bit of kicking left to do.

That’s it for our Playoffs and London Games, make sure you like and follow!

Make sure you check out our social pages, and have a listen to the podcast.

 

 

 

Week 14 Picks Podcast

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That chill in the air isn’t just England feeling frosty after getting booted out of the World Cup by France, it’s time for our Week 14 Picks Podcast!

Yes, jolly olde England isn’t feeling so flush, after getting booted from the Cup despite outplaying the French, but at least we can go back to focusing on the NFL again.

Wade & Ryan are back with their full game slate of picks on a short week in the league.

Make sure that you listen to the whole podcast right here!

 

Among some of the games that the guys discuss this week includes:

Vikings (10-2) vs -2 Lions (5-7)  +51

How insulting is it for the league leading Minnesota squad to be two point dogs to the Lions in a divisional match-up?
The Vikings can’t get ‘no respect’, whereas the Lions continue to Hard Knock recent opponents, not to mention the Week 3 matchup between these two where Detroit almost took the contest.

The Vikings will be playing angry heading into Michigan, with Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook looking to bust open some seams in the easy to score against Lions D.
They can score a lot of points…but also get scored on just as easily.

Detroit has finally started to find its form, with 5 wins that put them second in their division.
Sure, Jared Goff isn’t the best piece leading the squad, but on the back of their D and speeding running game, the Lions can make any game fun.

Ryan isn’t liking the disrespect that the Vikings are being given here, and pips them to be able to beat the Lions in an away dome victory.

Wade is on the Lions hype, looking back at the Week 3 matchup where the Lions were feasting on the Vikes until some key injuries changed the trajectory of the game.

Ryan- Vikings 30 Lions 26
Wade- Lions 31 Vikings 27

Jets (7-5) vs -10 Bills (9-3)  +43

It’s a New York throw down, as the Bills host their divisional rival Jets in a snowy Sunday showdown.
The Jets had the Bills number in week 9, but can the plucky Jets do it again as 10 point underdogs?

The Jets have thrived under Saleh, and have tapped into a deep squad of runners and receivers to keep spreading the love around. If not for the drama at QB, the Jets might have had a few more wins this season to make this division even tighter.

The Bills continue to throttle opponents, but those 3 losses demonstrate that the Bills don’t have all the tools to dominate..yet.
The Bills will be using the snow and cold to their advantage as they look to put a knock out blow on New York.

Ryan likes his Bills to take the W in this one, although he doesn’t trust that spread given how tightly these two teams play.

Wade also likes the Bills, but has been burned by too many big spreads this year to go for this one.

Ryan- Bills 27 Jets 21
Wade- Bills 26 Jets 18

Browns (5-7) vs -5.5 Bengals (8-4)  +46.5

The battle for Ohio is always an ugly, fraternal affair that has most bettors avoiding it due to the slugfest of emotional play.
Oh yeah, and Deshaun Watson is back.

The Browns were able to get the W last week against the Texans, even though Watson looked so washed up that he should be hanging on a laundry line to dry out.
Maybe the only way to go for Watson is up?

Cincy has finally started to revive themselves after a tenuous start to the season.
The O Line has finally started to shore itself up, giving Burrow more pocket time.
The D is also healthy enough to cause problems, as demonstrated against Mahomes last week.
Of course, Joe Burrow has lost 4 games to the Browns-so there’s that too.

Ryan thinks that the Bengals will be too much for the stinky Browns, and that Burrow will have a big time connecting with his receivers.

Wade likes the Bengals to win, but doesn’t trust the previous matches enough to go for Cincy for the spread cover.

Ryan- Bengals 27 Browns 20
Wade- Bengals 28 Browns 24

That’s it for this week’s NFL picks for Week 14!
Make sure you listen to the whole podcast to get the feels for it.
Share it with your friends as a special holiday treat!

 

Bears in London

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The NFL tickled us with a treat this week, as Chicago took advantage of the new international marketing areas to host the Bears in London on Sunday.

What a fun night of action, and thanks for hosting us!

Home Marketing

With the NFL going fully international this year, the league announced last year that they would allow certain teams to market directly to global fans.

The United Kingdom had six teams granted rights to perform this, with the Jaguars, Vikings, Dolphins, Jets, 49ers and Bears getting the royal treatment here.

This was the Bears first attempt at hosting one of these parties, and they did a lot of things right.

Flat Iron Party

The Bears opted to host the party in London’s Flat Iron area, just round the corner from London Bridge station.

While the area was popular when the NFL was in town, it did seem like a rather odd location given how quickly the area empties on a Sunday, as well as being hosted underneath the train tracks.

The hype was obvious at entry, as cheery marketing folk handed out raffle tickets, and encouraged fans to participate in some of the many trivia and cheer games they had prepared.
Some of the games were funny, some cheesy, and there were times fans just wanted the game back on as they battled the Lions, but the good nature of the event and £7 pints had Bears fans rollicking.

Bringing in the Bears hype man to host the event did bring a deep dish authenticity to the event, and he was genuinely surprised at just how damn knowledgeable UK Bears fans are at trivia.
The only wrong answers seemed to be displayed in the Bears game play.

The Game

Heading into the game, the Bears were a three point favourite over a Lions team bolstered by a win over the Packers last weekend.

The awkward tension was palatable in the room, as the Lions erased the Bears lead, despite the gutsy and emotional play of Justin Fields.

Despite the loss, UK Bears fans were playful to the few Lions fans who snuck in, possibly bouyed by beers, Bears and Bears swag.

Speaking of swag, while it looked like they brought plenty, it didn’t seem like it reached many of the fans, as Bears loyals were seen packing branded, paper drinks coasters into their pockets for a little bit of take home legacy.

Or maybe people just didn’t want to be reminded of a one point loss.

Bear Down Future

Scrolling the Bears forums, the main complaints from fans around the event stemmed from it being last minutes, and in London, alienating many UK Bears fans who either can’t travel on Sunday nights, or can’t afford London prices.

Rumours from the Bears marketing staff on hand is that there could be more of these viewing events across the UK in the coming months.

Make sure to watch this space, and we will let you know where and when you can Beardown this NFL season.

All in all, it was a fun night of football, and a good sign of things to come.