NFL in London

National Football League in London

NFL playoffs

Woody and the Jets

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America is currently going through a ‘change’ that we are all privy to witness, and one of those includes taking back some of their ambassadors, including our own, as we say goodbye to Woody and the Jets.

It was the first time for us Brits to have an Ambassador who actually owned an NFL team. While previous ambassadors have been supportive of the NFL pushing forward in Europe, it was NY Jets owner Woody who was bullish on more London games.

Given that Woody’s family owned the Jets, you can understand why he may not have wanted to spend any time on US soil in 2020. Thankfully by adding new head coach Robert Saleh, Woody can finally show his face with pride, as the Jets are on their way up! Or…on their way on a gradual slide to somewhere.

Woody’s time in London was not without his problems however, as being a minion of former President Trump brings with it a whole bunch of baggage. Let’s not forget the pressure that Trump put on Woody to move the British Open to his Scottish golf course. These type of unpresidential moves were  not uncommon for Trump, and always awkward for any of his mouth pieces.

Numerous reports also emerged of Embassy staff feeling uncomfortable around Ambassador Johnson, for making ‘inappropriate and insensitive’ comments. Perhaps Woody was just repeating things that Jets fans say every time they lose to a division opponent? It’s all about context.

So what will Johnson do know that he is no longer Ambassador to the UK?
He could always go back & get directly involved with the New York Jets? Although for many in the organisation it might just feel like an extended ‘take you kid to work day.’
He could fall back on his billions inherited from his Johnson & Johnson family empire. The company has been in the mix to make Covid vaccines, which is a far cry from the trouble they got in for selling baby powder that caused ass cancer.
Of course if Woody Johnson really wants to help, he can go back to Donald Trump and see if any fences need a mending.

Because if there is one thing that America has right now…it’s a lot of broken fences. And a wall that needs building.
Grab your toolbox Woody. America needs you.

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-Wildcard Weekend

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Welcome back to another edition of The Picks Six-Wildcard Weekend-the first postseason edition!! It’s SUPER WildCard Weekend, which means we’ve got back to back triple headers this weekend. 6 games, 2 days, a PLETHORA of storylines… What does that recipe equal? Chaos. And chaos… is a ladder. 

The playoff picture was murky up until the last minute, when Doug Pederson and the Eagles left all people with a logical brain (or a bet on the Eagles to win… like me) DISGUSTED with their Sunday Night Antics. I don’t want to go on about it, but it was absolutely shameful and I feel really sorry for the New York Giants coaches and players who gave it everything to win their game, believing they had a chance to make the playoffs. They did not. The Eagles coaches had zero intention of ever winning that game. It’s shameful. Jalen Hurts deserves better. Anyway… If we get half of THAT controversy this weekend, we’re in for a treat. 

Game Picks (Regular Season Record: 95-45)

Saturday 

Colts @ Bills 

Josh Allen and his offense are steamrolling their way into the Playoffs. A comfortable cut above the rest of the AFC East, they dispatched the FitzMagic-less Dolphins last weekend – resting their starters for the second half – and are sauntering into their first home playoff game in a loooooong time with confidence sky high. The Stefon Diggs trade is one of the best pieces of business done in this league in a while, and what the Bills lack in an explosive running back they make up for in their mobile maverick quarterback. On the other side of the ball… one of my least favourite teams in the league this year. I’m sorry, but I’m not really sorry. I’ve never had much love for Phil Rivers – trash talking aside – and their intensely boring mix of stout defense and 3.5 yards per carry run game is one of my least favourite mixtures in the NFL. The Colts have been inconsistent with their ability to score points offensively, and that’s not a good thing against a Bills defense that started slow but has picked up steam in the last month. As much as I believe in this Bills team, this pick is also personal preference influenced. #BillsMafia: enjoy your home game. You’ll have another one next weekend.

Pick: BILLS

Rams @ Seahawks

If the opportunity to see Jalen Ramsey vs DK Metcalf again wasn’t enough, the subscript to this game is just so tasty. Will Aaron Donald regret saying “that’s exactly what we wanted” when he was told the Rams were travelling to Seattle after their victory over Arizona last weekend? Will Pete Carroll let Russ continue to cook!? Will Jared Goff play? Could John Wolford pull off a miracle two weeks in a row? It’s all set to be WILD. And yet, for me, the most important player on the field on Saturday I haven’t even mentioned yet. I still cannot fathom why Seattle refuses to FEED Chris Carson the ball. He’s so explosive. Seattle’s offensive line can create holes for him and he has the ability to make the most of them. IF – and it’s a big if considering the Rams’ defensive line – Seattle can establish the run and control the game at their own pace, I think the Seahawks have everything they need to dispatch LA back to their home and move on to the Divisional weekend. With the question marks over Jared Goff’s thumb remaining, I can’t in good conscience pick the Rams this weekend. There are more ways Seattle can win. Even if they don’t do as I’ve advised (lean on Chris Carson), they can still win this game if MVP-level Russell Wilson shows up, which is always possible. The Rams HAVE to have their defense play to the best of their ability, and hope Kupp and Woods can make enough plays to get them some points. I’m choosing to ride with the path with the most options. 

Pick: SEAHAWKS

Buccaneers @ Washington

I’m going to keep this one short. I’ve never been a Tom Brady fan. I’m still not. I hate the New England Patriots… and yet… NEVER in my life would I be stupid enough to say “Tom Brady I’m coming,” a whole week before I had to face TB12 in the playoffs. If you think Tom didn’t see Chase Young’s sentiment… and hasn’t been religiously watching game film… think again. I have been loud and proud all season about how this Washington team are frauds and I believe they will be exposed as such this weekend, as they would and SHOULD have been last weekend, had Jalen Hurts been allowed to finish the job. Tom Brady is going to annihilate Washington. *Insert joke about a “Brady happy to see a leaky defense in Washington for the second time this week” here.* Don’t think I’ve forgotten who you campaigned for, Tom. Abhorrent. Enjoy this weekend before Aaron Rodgers shuts you down next Sunday.

Pick: BUCCANEERS

Sunday

Ravens @ Titans

This game is the biggest revenge game I’ve seen for a while. The last two times these two teams have faced off, the Titans have run the ball down Baltimore’s throat and sent them packing empty handed. Mike Vrabel and John Harbaugh almost came to blows pre-game before the regular season matchup that went back and forth before Derrick Henry walked it off in OT. The biggest criticism of Lamar Jackson is his record in the playoffs. I think that’s unfair; his incredible regular season record contains some losses as well. It’s just bad luck. Lamar will shine in the playoffs eventually, I’m just not convinced it’ll be this weekend… Yeah, the Titans defense is questionable at best… but if you have Derrick Henry running like he is, and Ryan Tannehill throwing to AJ Brown like he is, you have to feel good about your ability to put up points. I think this game is the biggest toss up of the weekend. This could go in so many directions, but I think it’ll be tight and probably come down to a late game drive one way or the other. The Ravens offense has woken up of late, with Hollywood Brown finding the endzone with consistency and JK Dobbins looking like one of the steals of last year’s draft. All that said… I think I’m sticking with Tennessee. This game is must-see however, whichever way it ends.

Pick: TITANS

Bears @ Saints

I can’t trust Mitch Trubisky to beat this Saints defense. I just can’t. David Montgomery has found a groove and the smartest thing the Bears could do on Sunday afternoon would be to lean heavily on their run game and try and get it going early. Brees is surely still some way short of 100%, but with their running backs on track to be back this week, the Bears linebackers are going to have to try and deal with “Mr 6” Alvin Kamara. The Bears defense could keep this close, but I think the Saints have enough weapons to pull away late. I can’t see the Bears offense having enough firepower to win this game. It’s gotta be NOLA.

Pick: SAINTS

Browns @ Steelers

The Cleveland Browns HAVE NOT won a single game in Pittsburgh in 17 years. S-E-V-E-N-T-E-E-N YEARS. Big Ben has NEVER lost at home to the Browns. Kevin Stefanski – likely Coach of the Year – is unable to coach due to COVID protocols. Alex Van Pelt is the play caller, for the first time in his NFL career. The Browns are the perennial losers and underdogs of the AFC North. The Steelers are the Championship pedigree empire. EVERYTHING about this game says “Thanks for coming, Cleveland, but the road ends here.” AND YET – that’s exactly why I think the Browns will win this game. Sometimes “it’s just meant to be” is the truth. Baker Mayfield has led the Browns to the promised land of the playoffs. I think the boost that gives this franchise, and the motivation of having their coaches out, and you’re playing your biggest rivals, and your rivals have been insulting you all week (JuJu said “the Browns are the Browns,” to suggest there was nothing different about their current crop of talent)… I am all in on the Browns bandwagon. Chubb, Hunt, Landry, Higgins, Hooper… TO THE MOON. Shake and Baker. Dawg Pound – you’re getting a win.

Pick: BROWNS

Parlay 

Using the above picks, this is my parlay for the weekend:

Titans -6.5

Seahawks -3.0

Buccaneers -6.5

Titans +3.5

Saints -9.5

Browns to win.

Depending on your bookmaker, £10 on this parlay pays around £620.

We’ll reunite here next week as we welcome the de facto 1 and 1A in the MVP race into the dance. Enter stage right: Mahomes and Rodgers. And here… we… go… Anyway, I hope you’re all staying safe and sane in the midst of this insane start to 2021. Fingers cross we can relax and enjoy a good time on this SUPER WILDCARD weekend. As ever, I’m @CallumJDSquires on Twitter and Instagram. Come say hey. Have a good one everyone.

Callum Squires is an ardent Dolphins fan, and a good friend of NFL in London. 

Ravens vs Steelers

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It’s week 12 on a Wednesday, as we update our previous pick on this weird and wild game, as the Ravens visit the Steelers on a midweek night.
Obviously it’s a bonus to get another NFL game, especially one that airs in primetime UK time. Too bad this one will be a beating.

Ravens (6-4) vs Steelers (10-0)
Steelers -10 +42

The Covid fairy has kissed a bunch of Ravens, meaning they will barely be fielding a team at all. RG3 gets his comeback comeback in primetime, let’s see what he can do with a box of broken toys. Baltimore has to feel gutted going into this one, reeling from losses and infected with Covid to the point of throwing this one. At least they have a QB.
The Steelers must be laughing, they’re the China in this whole thing. Not sure if they started it, but they sure are enjoying the ride. Pittsburgh has benefitted from a healthy team and easy schedule. Sure they’re good, but not a perfect team good. I guess that’s the way the NFL Gods shuffle it.
Both Ryan & Wade like Pittsburgh in a romp here. They’re too strong & healthy that they might even give Rudolph a go if this one starts to coast.
Ryan- Steelers 27 Ravens 13
Wade- Steelers 33 Ravens 18

Enjoy the game, we will have another podcast up this week as well.