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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.

London Throwback

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With the 2020 NFL season almost done and dusted, we thought we would hit you with a bit of nostalgia, as we give you a London Throwback video.

The year was 2018. Trump was still president, the youth were still glued to their phones, Corona was still a watered down Mexican beer, and we could watch the NFL in public.
Oh what a time to be alive!

This game would be later known as the ‘Minneapolis Miracle’, for an incredible game which saw the Minnesota Vikings come back after being down to the New Orleans Saints.
Those of us gathered in a former London casino in the wee hours of a cold January night were in for a treat of a game.
Who could forget the heroics of a certain Case Keenum  who took over from Sam Bradford & Teddy Bridgewater to mount a comeback against the plucky play of Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

The last play brought with it a ‘Buffalo Right-Seven Heaven’ which saw Case toss the ball to a leaping Stefon Diggs who would go on to score.
Marcus Williams would go on to be a 2018 meme for his missed tackle, and last efforts that saw the Vikings move on.

Where were you for the Minneapolis Miracle? Did you join us at the casino to watch the game? Who was the guy at the end screaming at Saints fans? Did you happen to say hi to Cecil?

The NFL is better when we can all watch it with you! We look forward to that potential in 2021.

Stay safe, sane and have a happy new year everyone!

Ekeler’s Millions

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Oh to be an NFL player! You’re a physically fit, young man, earning millions….and 2 years after you retire there is a high chance you will be BROKE! Not unless you make the right decisions.
LA Chargers running back Austin Ekeler details what he spent his first million dollars on in this Ekeler’s Millions segment.

One of the first things that comes across when you watch Austin Ekeler is how humble and grounded the guy is. This probably has something to do with growing up in rural Colorado, and not really focusing on the NFL as a career.  Often the biggest financial busts in the NFL are the players who focus on status and prestige, as opposed to building the structure for financial stability in the future.  There is nothing more frustrating as a fan watching a talented young athlete blow their wad on ‘bling’, when their career could essentially be over within 5 years.
Sure Drew Brees can spend millions on trinkets and baubles, but look where that got him.

Among some of the purchases that Ekeler bought with his first million includes:

Chrysler 300

The essential vehicle for soccer moms, single dads with weekend duties, and of course NFL rookies. Austin smartly mentions that he bought a used car, as he wanted something reliable and affordable to get him to work, while many of his other teammates were focused on the flashy, European models.
It’s better to be frugal than a fool in a league where a sudden injury can change the trajectory of your future immediately.
Cost $30,000

Gaming System

Boys love their toys, and a single man in his 20s is going to spend a lot of money on gaming. Gaming is surprisingly popular and competitive amongst NFL players themselves, so many of the rookies are going to want to update their speed and graphics in order to compete with some of their elders on the team and league. Gaming is a massively popular industry, and many NFL players are eyeing it up as not only an investment post career, but also as a potential job. Hey, it works in ‘Ballers.’
Cost $10,000

Mommy Car

Every good boy wants to thank their mom for driving their ass to and from practice and games for almost 2 decades. Ekeler thanked his mama by replacing here ugly old van, with something more fitting of a matriarch. Austin’s mom is also a Colorado real estate agent, so she has actually been working for him to upgrade his portfolio. Investing in mom is always a good investment.
Cost $40,000

Corvette

The Corvette is a classic staple of Americana muscle car, this fibre glass beast is one of the biggest killers of drivers in accidents. But…Austin Ekeler loves the ‘Vette, so he bought a shiny one. It’s got to be hard to compete with teammates (and celebrities) in LA, so players do need a car that displays the fact that they ‘made it.’ When you’re a kid you dream of owning your ‘dream car’, and luckily Ekeler was able to do just that.
Cost $80,000

Wardrobe

Some NFL players go full peacock in their post game wardrobe (talking to you Cam Newton), so it’s always refreshing to hear from a normal guy that doesn’t spend his weekly budget on hats. Again, the competitive nature of other NFL players must set the bar high, but given what Ekeler spent updating his wardrobe, many women spend that easily making way less.
Cost $5000

Home

Home is where the honey’s are, and if you want lots of honies, you need a sweet home. Read that on a washroom stall once. Everyone in their 20s’ wants to get out of the rent-trap, and Austin wisely invested a large chunk of his cash into his first house. Listening to him speak about it, you get the impression this will be the first of many home he will turn over for a profit.
Cost $240,000

Australia

Austin Ekeler bought Australia for only $15k! Kidding, but the young man invested the sum into visiting his buddy there that was setting up a gym. Sure that this good looking, rich young American man had a great time down under for that amount.
Cost $15,000

Investment Property

OK, this is when you know that Ekeler is one of the smarty ones. Ekeler’s aforementioned mom helped him pick out 17 properties in Colorado to add to his investment portfolio. 17 properties? Wowza, even local boy John Elway must be impressed enough to give him a Papa John’s franchise.
Newby athletes need to learn from Austin Ekeler so that they don’t make silly mistakes with their money. After all, who wants to go from the NFL in your 20s’, to working at Sonic in your 30s’?
Cost $800,000

What would you do if someone handed you that kind of contract? Would you invest that same way as Ekeler’s Millions, or blow it all in a blaze of glory?

Things to think about. Happy New Year!

 

 

 

Week 17 Preview

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The NFL season officially ends this weekend, as we hit you up with our Week 17 Preview Podcast.
This has officially been one of the oddest NFL seasons on record, with Covid wrecking havoc across the world and the league. You have to hand it to the NFL though, they handled this season very seamlessly, and us fans may never fully realise what kind of hard work they pulled off to make it happen.  Thanks NFL!
Wade & Ryan hit the mic this week to look back at all of the crazy games in week 16 in the league. There were some truly nutty scores and outcomes last week, and the boys reflect on how those affected their bets.
The guys then look ahead and make their predictions for all the Week 17 games, with score predictions and playoff guesses flying wildly across the podcast.
Among some of the major games the guys look at in our Week 17 Preview Podcast includes:

Dolphins (10-5) vs Bills (12-3)
Bills -3  +44.5

It’s time to shuffle off to Buffalo for the final game of the season for these AFC East teams, and this match always beings with it some historical fun. Both of these teams are playoff bound, but Miami needs it more than Buffalo does.
Miami would be wise to start the veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick here, as his previous stint as a Buffalo QB gives him an advantage in the cold. Their D will also need to heat things up if they want to make Josh Allen make any mistakes.
Of all of the playoff bound teams, Buffalo is the one that really seems to be cooking in their final stretch. Allen has been a touchdown beast, and their own D is making life hard for opposing QBs.
Both of these teams need a win here, but Buffalo might be the one team that could coast if they build a lead. Both guys like the Bills here.
Ryan- Bills 27 Dolphins 13
Wade- Bills 27 Dolphins 23

Jets (2-13) vs Patriots (6-9)
Patriots -3.5  +43

New York has failed miserably at a few things this season. They failed to secure the best new QB in the 2021 draft, and they failed to be the worst team in the league, at the worst possible time. They have actually looked ok in recent weeks, and one wonders where that style of play was a few weeks ago. Adam Gase will most likely be on LinkedIn this game, as his fate seems to be sealed for 2021. Sam Darnold however might be stuck in the Big Apple for a lot longer now.
Cam Newton was not the answer, and no one is saying it. It’s not surprising given the Patriots history of stifling bad news. Bill Belichick gets his first early winter in ages, and you wonder how he’ll want to go out on this game.
Wade and Ryan both like the Jets here as they have nothing to lose. If they keep playing how they have in the past 3 games, they could actually rough up the Pats in Boston.
Ryan- Jets 20 Patriots 10
Wade- Jets 26 Patriots 20

Cardinals (8-7) vs LA Rams (9-6)
NL (Goff)

Thanks to Arizona losing last week, the Bears have a shot at the playoffs, while the Cards are now officially eliminated. Arizona has been erratic all season, with Kyler Murray showing as many bright flashes as he does dark decisions. They haven’t been fully clicking all season, and they will need to make some changes in the offseason to steer this ship in the right direction.
The Rams too have been inconsistent in 2020, relying on their D to keep them in games that they had no place being in. With Jared Goff injuring his thumb, the chances of the Rams making the playoffs just took a dip here.
Wade & Ryan are split on this one, with Ryan liking the Cardinals to take advantage of Goff, while Wade thinks that Sean McVay will find a way. Even if it does mess with his Bears.
Ryan- Cardinals 23 Rams 17
Wade- Rams 27 Cardinals 25

That’s it for our week 17 predictions, make sure that you check us out on social media.
We also have another Facebook Group you can join if you’re an NFL in London fan.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NFLinLondon

Make sure you listen to the whole podcast to get all of the guys picks.
Listen, laugh, love and continue to share. Our listenership continues to rise, so thanks for that.

Have a happy new year everyone!

Week 16 Memes

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Eesh, what a week it was in the NFL. To honour some of the odd games we experienced, we have collected and collated the best Week 16 Memes out there.
For those of you who were eliminated from your fantasy pool-we feel you.
If your team is struggling for that last playoff spot, we here you.
If you are a Jets fan complaining how you lost Trevor Lawrence, screw you.
Stop being a baby.