NFL in London

National Football League in London

NFLUK

All Filler

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Training camp is almost here to kick off the 2021 NFL season, but until then, we are grasping at NFL news.
Which is why we call this podcast ALL FILLER, as it is mostly a collection of offseason antics and hilarious stories.

Join Wade McElwain & Ryan Cull, as they deliver a heat induced episode of NFL news, predictions, and general jackassery.
Ryan is off of a 2 week vacation to the ‘islands’, and he can barely contain his enthusiasm.

Among some of the nuggets of NFL that the boys talk about in this episode includes:

Sherman Tanked

Poor Richard Sherman. He got wasted in SoCal and all he got to show for it was an embarrassing video of him losing to a door.
A very wasted Sherman is seen trying to bust back into his gated community house while his distraught (and calm) wife describes the harrowing encounter.
Most people who listed to this call point to the very ‘nasty’ 911 operator on the receiver, who definitely made the call worse.
Sherman is going to need to dry out, rethink, and figure out if he’s better off on the field…or maybe the booth.

Tooth Haskins

Poor Dwayne Haskins.
First he gets cut by the Washington football team for erratic play and behaviours, then his love life came back to punch him in the face.
It’s not easy being a young man trying to make it in the NFL.
There is lot of pressure not only to succeed, but also from the Instagram set looking to to cash in on your young fame.
Hopefully this guy gets help before he gets piled on.

Ping You

While we are under Operation Pingdom here in the UK, in the US teams are still struggling to get their players vaccinated.
There are 4 teams whose vax rate is currently below 50% for whatever reason they choose to submit.
Those teams?
Washington, Indianapolis, Arizona, and the LA Chargers.
It’s going to be a long training camp until the players get the jab.

Hold the Chi

You’re a horrible person if you have been pronouncing Travis Kelce’s name wrong this whole time.
Yes, after years in the NFL, it turns out we have been pronouncing his name all wrong.
It’s Kell-se, not Kell-chee.
Boy are we embarrassed!

Younghoe Jeep

Welcome to the ATL Koe! Falcons kicker Younghoe Koe got a slap in the south when his Jeep was stolen from the city last week.
This is probably why they never let Atlanta have nice things.
In true Georgia fashion, Koe claimed he only ‘wanted his cleats’ back.
Who steals a man’s dirty cleats anyway?

TB10.5

It turns out that TB12 played ALL last season with an MCL problem.
Ha ha, wow!
If this is true, it’s quite admirable for a man of his age to play through the pain.
If it is also true….then Tampa Bay cheated their way to the Super Bowl.
Teams have to disclose injuries, and Tom Brady not disclosing his is a MAJOR league violation.
Will the league investigate this, or will they just consider it Brady Banter?
Depends on how true it is really.

Rodgers Out

The final question that remains, is whether to not Aaron Rodgers will suit up for training camp on July 27th.
Aaron made it clear at the end of the 2020 season he would not be retuning to the Packers, but many fans haven’t given up hope.
Ryan is convinced that Aaron Rodgers will be back, and everything else is silly talk.
Wade thinks that Rodgers will call their bluff, go into semi-retirement as a broadcaster until injury forces a team to offer him the moon.
We shall see.

Here is the latest podcast.
Listen, laugh, love, Karen, enjoy.

OTA Days

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The NFL is back!…Sort of…the OTA’s are back, and we chat about all the NFL news we can find in our OTA Days podcast.

Wade McElwain and Ryan Cull dig the depths of their brains to find anything football to talk about in this episode, highlighting their desperation for the return of football.

Summer is almost here, and once we get these pesky days of sunshine, family and ice cream out of the way…football is finally back!

While there hasn’t been any massive NFL breaking news stories, arrests, Kardashian marriages, or reality show appearances, that doesn’t mean stuff isn’t simmering below the surface.

In this episode, Wade and Ryan talk about some of the most pressing NFL issues heading into the summer of 2021.

Julio Jones

Bye, bye Atlanta, Julio is gone. But where will Julio go? While he does’ have the explosive speed of a few years back, Julio is still a valuable target for any team heading into 2021.
With many teams pleading empty pockets, it’s hard to see how a team will entice Julio with the right concoction. He’s not going to roll up to a half-baked team without playoff chances, he’s going to want a shot at finally getting a ring.
The potential suitors in this one?
Patriots, Raiders, Titans, and maybe the Packers?

Aaron Gone

Aaron Rodgers sure knows how to bring the drama with him, perhaps a casualty of dating so many Hollywood starlets?
Many Packers fans thought this was all part of the package when Rodgers started getting hissy at the start of the season.
He obviously hates the GM, and won’t budge until he’s gone.
Rodgers didn’t report to the OTAs, instead traveling with actor Miles Teller, to watch him get punched in the face across the islands of Hawaii.
Maybe he’ll just retire?

NBA Myles

A video emerged this week of Browns beast Myles Garrett slamming down a dunk and knocking the poor lad into a cushy wall.
The NFL and Browns were not amused, and have politely asked Myles to not play basketball like this during the offseason, just in case he destroys a knee or two.
Luckily for the dunkee, Myles didn’t have a helmet at the ready.

Ertz Don’t It?

The Buffalo Bills need a TE, and the Eagles are ready to serve up a scoop of Ertz.
The Bills are in need of more depth for Josh Allen, so snagging the ageing Ertz might be a good hands option to take the heat off the deep threats down field.
Zach and the Bills make a good fit, and they even moved some numbers on Diggs contract to be able to make it work.
Now, they just need the Eagles to play ball.

Jay Cutler-Businesswoman

Jay Cutler wants to get paid! After whoring out the family dignity on a reality show, the Cutler’s are now breaking up the houses for the final throw down.
In true Cutler form, he hasn’t prepared much-but is willing to ‘ball down’ when it comes to the nitty gritty.
Jay apparently wants half of his wife’s trinkets and bobbles boutique, so he can throw that shit down too.
With little NFL drama in the world, other players are jumping on social to throw their support behind Jay and his coup.
‘NFL Divorces’ the TV series we didn’t know we needed.

London Games

Are you vaccinated? Are you from a green country? Can you read minds?
Then you’re all set of the London games!
It’s still too early to tell what will happen for the London games, but all signs point to ‘business as usual.’
We will keep you updated on news about the games, as well as any other tidbits and trinkets of knowledge that we find out.
Please DO NOT buy tickets from unlicensed sellers, we hear horror stories from fans every year, and it truly is crappy what people do to one another.

Stay safe, stay sane, and keep listening to our podcast!

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

 

London Calling Atlanta

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The NFL is returning to London!
Fans will be allowed back in stadiums, a new 17 week season awaits, and Covid has been traded to the Jets for future considerations.
Everything is getting back to normal right?
Uh, sure.
We don’t know a lot, but we do know that London is calling Atlanta for a 2021 game.
So who are they playing? When? Where? What’s the deal-lio, yo?
We’ll try to break it down for you, as London is calling you Atlanta!

International Games

In your face world! The NFL is coming for you!
American football fans around the globe were giddy like kids at Christmas, after the league announced that we can expect more NFL International games over the next few years.
London’s Tottenham stadium will be the first to host a game in 2021, with more venues and teams to be rolled out later this year.
All 32 teams will have to play at least 1 international game once over the next eight years.
According to the league it will look for  “up to four neutral-site games per year in a country outside the United States will focus initially on Canada, Europe, Mexico, South America and the United Kingdom. In addition, interested clubs can continue to volunteer to play home games internationally, as is currently the case.”
When the games will be played and where is anyone’s guess, but we can make some inferences based on previous outings.

Canada

Canada has previously hosted NFL regular season games, and they did not go well.
Given that Toronto is only a 90 minute journey to Buffalo, it was assumed that Canuckleheaded fans would fill up the stadiums with maple pride.
They did not.
Toronto is a fickle city, and one Ernest Hemingway once described as a ‘fistulated asshole.’
If the Blue Jays are doing well, the Maple Leafs show a semblance of pulse, or a waft of warm air hits Ontario in October, Canadians make other plans.
Previous NFL games were beset by fan apathy, low turn out, snarky broadcasters, and truly bad playing conditions.
The Rogers Centre/ Skydome is a decaying downtown edifice whose turf has ruined more professional athletes careers than a Kardashian.
The Rogers family themselves are snarky snake billionaires with a grasp on the throat of Canadian media, and none too pleased with the NFL for turning down previous franchise opportunities.
If Canada does host NFL games, they will need to not be held in Toronto or Vancouver, where fans already have a taste of ‘American sports.’


South America

When the NFL says ‘South America’, we assume that the NFL means ‘Mexico’, given that Mexico has hosted previous NFL games.
Although Mexico is considered to be in North America, you can forgive sports fans for not giving a hoot about geography.
It’s highly unlikely that South America would host anything other than a vaccination drive, as Covid has torn through the region like Derek Henry playing ‘Red Rover.’
One can’t imagine Argentina, Peru or Brazil hosting a regular season NFL game given the security, testing, and kidnapping threats that exist in those regions.
Previous Mexico City NFL games have been well attended, but also fraught with peril.
These games cost the NFL the most in safety and security of ANY NFL game, not to mention the flurry of items tossed on the the field and hundreds of laser pointers aimed at QBs eyes.
Only the Raiders seem to do well in Mexico, which is fitting.

Europe

To Americans, Europe is a big country.
Not only did they save it in WW2, but they also kicked the Germans out of it.
They might be totally insulted to learn that not only IS Germany IN Europe, but that the Germans may actually host an NFL game.
Germany has a massive NFL fanbase, and it truly is their time to host a game.
American football has been a popular sport in the country since American GI’s were stationed there after the war. The game grew in appeal, and Germany boasts one of the best American football development program on the continent.
The only issue that might interfere is time. With a 6 hour gap between the states, a 1pm EST game wouldn’t kickoff until 7pm in Germany, making it a bit of a later prospect.
The games will still be awesome, and it will be great to see what Germany can offer as hosts.

UK

The UK has established itself as the de-facto home of the NFL outside of Europe, so what’s changed?
Covid obviously, but there is also a Wembley issue.
The Jacksonville Jaguars contract with Wembley has expired, and they also lost their pitch for a new downtown stadium. Will Khan take out his wrath, or find a new way?
By all accounts Wembley is keen to reopen the NFL despite Tottenham making the stadium push for future games.
Other stadiums that host Liverpool and Manchester United are also keen to refit their homes to potentially fit the NFL in for future years.
While the NFL may never establish another franchise in the UK, we may start to see games hosted around the country, as well as Scotland and Ireland in the mix.

With the big game announced for 2021, loads of questions have emerged.
When will the Falcons being playing at Tottenham, and who?
We have our thoughts here.

Which Sunday?

October 2021 has 5 potential Sundays to offer as one of the London games.
Previously, the NFL has tried to keep the International Games earlier in the season to balance out the byes, and fit the games within the busy hosting schedule of the city of London.
October 2021 has Sunday October 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31st as options for the London games, with each Sunday having a 20% chance of hosting the game.
With Week 1 of the NFL due to begin on Sun Sept 12th, that would make October 3rd part of the Week 4 schedule. Given Covid, rules, travel and more this might be more unlikely.
One of the biggest factors in choosing the date of the London game is time.
Clocks ‘fall back’ in October, with the US and UK having a gap of about a week when the clocks are only 4 hours apart.
The NFL has capitalised on this in the past, as this hour means a huge difference to the body clocks, and broadcast clocks of international timings.
UK clocks change on Sun Oct 31st, and US clocks on Sun Nov 7th. This means that there would be only a 4 hour gap on the 31st, making it the most likely date to host a game.
Sunday October 31st is Week 8 in the NFL, which is a tad late for a UK game, so we are not keen on it, especially with Diwali (Indian Festival of Lights) set to take over central London less than a week later.
Prediction: Sunday October 17th (Week 6)

Atlanta Opponent

The Atlanta Falcons will be playing a ‘non-divisional’ opponent for their 2021 game, which means that there are only 5 teams that they could potentially play.
These teams are Detroit, New England, NY Jets, Washington or Philly, each with an even 20% chance of being chosen.
Detroit last visited London in 2015, where they took an epic beating at the hands of Alex Smith and the Chiefs. The Lions aren’t really an international fan draw, and with so many changes in the organisation, an unlikely pairing for this match.
Washington is rebuilding not only as a team, but also as a franchise. With owner Dan Snyder under the microscope for being a bit naughty, it’s unlikely that the league would want him to travel internationally, where the foreign press would be keen to address his ‘reputation’.
The Eagles were only here in 2018, with Carson Wentz carving out a win over the hapless Jaguars. Very doubtful that they would be back here again this soon.
New York Jets and New England Patriots are the other teams that could be London bound.
Jets owner (and former UK Ambassador-Woody Johnson) is back home & working in the vaccine factory, so he might be inclined to not let his team back to his former home. The Jets last played in London in 2015, beating the Dolphins in a Wembley stinker.
Bill Belichick and the boys haven’t played in London since 2015, when a guy named Tom Brady was still at QB.
The Patriots have shed a lot of weight, personnel and allure as of late, with the team missing their first playoffs in decades.
Given that they are the only team with ‘England’ in their name, they would be odds on favourites to make the crowds happy, and sell tickets.
Boston is the closest US city to fly to London, so that 5 hours might seem like nothing compared to West coast jaunts.
After all, who wouldn’t want a Super Bowl matchup in England?
Let’s do it!
Prediction: New England Patriots

Full Prediction

We think the 2021 NFL London will be…the Atlanta Falcons hosting the New England Patriots at Wembley on Sunday October 17th, 2021

In closing, we have no idea what is really going to happen.
Covid is still on the field, and despite vaccine efforts, we still don’t know what the NFL could look like for this season.
Commissioner Goodell has promised that we will have ‘100% capacity’ at all stadiums, but that could be about as accurate as our predictions.

Watch this space as we will have full details on who is playing the Atlanta Falcons here as soon as we know it.  London is calling Atlanta!

Shadow Moves

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What lurks in the the shadows of the NFL?
What secret moves are happening in free agency?
Turns out, a lot-as Wade & Ryan look at Shadow Moves in this podcast.

Miami flipped a flop on the 49ers and Eagles, trading then sliding back in with some nifty picks.
All signs point to QB heaven as the teams line up to grab the next bigbit of  quarterback Mccheese.

The boys look at some of the other big news in this podcast including.

Bucs Start Kicking

Tampa Bay brings back a whopping 22 players, pointing to the fact that the Buccaneers are kicking to win another Super Bowl this season.
Tom Brady has all his weapons, and only time will tell if they can kick their late season run into a near perfect season.
Once you win the big show, everyone wants to steal your limelight.

Wilson!

Will Wilson drift away from the Seahawks raft, or will he let them paint his face and be the head on the stick again. When someone wants to leave that bad, it’s hard to see the lockerroom feeling the love if he does return.
The Seahawks have a lot of shoes, issues, and issues in shoes.
Maybe Petey should walk away this season.

Falc Off Matt

What’s the deal in Atlanta? If only they could vote on what to do with the team. Oh, that’s right.
Atlanta is in the fist flock frenzy of QB grappling and Matt Ryan may have more than a protégée.
The Falcons could also play it smart and trade their pick the dozens of teams willing to slit a fans throat after the anthem if they could get a sniff of Zach Wilson.
Ryan said it.

Benglosity

The Bengals have a great slice of picks, and it would be wise to load up that front line in the early going.
TB12 got a Wirf of a boost this season and Joe Burrow deserves a shot at not getting his head torn a sunder.
Cincinnati also benefits from grabbing a few wide receivers to make them a little more solid at points next season.

Aging Ravens

Baltimore went full The Wire, by bringing back a couple of old crows to flock the sidelines.
Sanu and Sammy Watkins signed with the Ravens in a chance to give Lamar Jackson two solid number 3 receivers.
If both of them stay healthy, they might be able to play 8 games this season and average 4 fantasy points.

Watson, Watsoff

Deshaun Watson is in the news again but for some not so good reasons.
It ‘seems’ that several Insta-masseuses claim that Watson did yada yada, and they felt blah blah.
Not to seem insensitive, but it’s all conjecture at this point.
Deshaun Watson is not charged, and he hasn’t said anything.
An interesting convenience in a legal battle to extricate himself from the grasp of a billionaire, only to find himself in the very position of one.
Kraft cooked his tapes, and added some orange cheese to offer a meal of of innocent denial.
In Robert Kraft’s case though, they had tapes and titilating testimony.
Let’s not forget that Deshaun Watson is also a young man under an extraordinary amount of pressure professionally and personally.
Kneeing him in a his mental nuts is not cool.

That’s it for this podcast, make sure that you listen to more in our library.
We’re glad to keep chatting about the NFL, and excited about the future of the league here and making you all laugh.