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Ryan Cull

Brady’s Bored

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The SuperBowl is almost a month ago, and it shows, because Tom Brady’s bored!
Or at least he must be if he had to give an interview with James Corden on the Late Late Show.

TB12 visited the virtual LLS with JC in the first week of March to give an interview about all of the Super Bowl shenanigans that we saw after their epic Tampa Bay win in February this year.

Corden might be moving weight prior to his move back to the UK, but wearing a purple suit for this interview brought out his inner Grimace.
It’s obvious that Corden knows nothing about the NFL, despite interviewing, karaoking, and driving around with some of the best athletes on the planet.
Luckily, Corden is good at faking it to make it.

Some of the highlights of the video below:

Drunk Brady

Can we all agree that drunk Tom Brady is the best Tom Brady of all?
In a league where alcohol can release the inner demons of some players, a little tequila down Tommy’s throat brings out the mischief-monster.
Would sober Tom have tossed that trophy off a boat? No.
Perhaps the NFL should consider creating a ‘Drunk Game’, where all the players in the game are under the influence?
Drunk Tom Brady would once again be putting on a ring.

Rings?

In the interview, it’s quite obvious that Tom’s 7 rings are nowhere in site.
If anyone of us owned those rings, we would be wearing them all day every day.
Where do you keep them rings Tommy Boy?
At least assemble them in some sort of ‘Newton’s Cradle’ where they can bang against each other in some sort of perpetual motion.
The GIF would be the most popular of all time.

Bill Beli-Bore

Bill Belichick is currently experiencing what it’s like to be in a cuckolding relationship.
Part of him got turned on by Tommy tearing it up in other colours, the other part is ripping himself a new one for being so silly.
While not referenced at all in the interview, you can only imagine Bill, his GF and the dogs watching this one with a bit of slut-shame.
Tommy has never looked so happy, shiny, and fun.
You go girl.

Super Model Sensitivity

Tommy acknowledges that his Gisele said to him after the latest victory ‘what else do you have to prove’?
Clearly she doesn’t know TB12. That just made him want to play more.
When you challenge the GOAT, you get the horns.
By saying that his wife has just unleashed another 20 year run of NFL titles until Brady is in his 60s.
We can rebuild him like the Bionic Man, and he’ll still have less filler in him than most of the Insta influencers.

Buc Dynasty

With the victory in Tampa, comes with it a whole new douchey bunch of fans.
OG Bucs fans from the 80s were the real deal. They embraced a losing seasons in a row, horrible team colours, and a creepy moustached mascot that looks like he went along side an Amber Alert.
Those fans were and still are cool, it’s the new legion of Bucs fans that suck.
You can hear their stifled ‘Baws-tawn’ accent, make out the shadow of their former facial hair shaped like Tony Stark, and hairs stand on end when they go off on a new ‘Die-Nasty’.
If you or one of your friends is one of these idiot-sticks, please consider jumping in freezing water until thoroughly numb.

Here is the full interview for your consideration. Make sure you check out all of our social channels for lots of fun.

SuperBowl 55 Preview

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And then there was one game to define it all.
One final match for the 2020 season, before we all slug back to hibernate for another 7 months of no NFL.
It’s the Tampa Bay Bucs vs the Kansas City Chiefs, as we bring you our SuperBowl 55 Preview podcast.

Wade McElwain & Ryan Cull are ready for Sunday, as they break down all of the factors that will come into play for SuperBowl 55 in Tampa.
Who do they think will win the big game? You’ll have to read further.

The guys touch on all kinds of fun in this podcast, among some of the issues they discuss in detail includes:

TB12

Sure, he makes half the SuperBowls of his career, but is he really that good? Brady has thrown a bunch of INTs throughout the playoffs, and it’s hard not to think he won’t be tossing one away in this game. Where Brady shines is under pressure, and leading an underdog charge.
Tommy boy knows how to manage the clock and the big stage.

Mahomes

Patrick has surely accomplished a lot for a young man his age. He shows a certain poise and commands the pocket expertly as he moves down the field. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his issues however. If the Bucs put enough pressure on him, he might throw an errant pick down the field. Or he might find a seam and run for 40 yards on you. That’s why he’s so fun to watch.

Chiefs O-Line

You’re going to need to protect Patrick Mahomes from one of the fastest D’s in the league. The Bucs were able to get to him in week 12, and it should be eve easier if 3 of the starters are out.
Mahomes is a phenom anyway you slice it, but if you can get to him early and often, it will mean he has to take deep shots down the field.

RBs

Both of these teams will have all of their backs healthy and ready for the big game. With such a high powered passing attack on both sides, the running game could be overlooked. This would be a mistake, as both teams will want to ‘ground and pound’ to soften the defensive line up a bit.
Where this will get interesting is how often these RBs are used in play action and as receivers.

Gronk

Gronk is always on Tommy’s mind when it comes to the SuperBowl. In the previous Patriots games, Rob was a big factor finding open field and busting a few big gains and even a TD against the Rams.
Betting that Gronk gets a TD is a solid prop bet, and it may have something to do with TB12 helping his buddy’s get their post season bonuses.

Home Field

It may not feel like much, but home field does play a huge factor in Sundays outcome. Knowing every facet of a stadium, how the wind rolls in, where your family are sitting, and how close the toilet is, all help a player out mentally to calm down.

So with all of that in consideration, the guys have made this Super Bowl 55 predictions.

Ryan

Ryan likes the kid Mahomes in this one, as the Chiefs just have too many tools to be stopped. He likes both teams to hit the over here, but Kansas City will just be too much for the Bucs to handle.
Chiefs 31 Bucs 27

Wade

Wade is going with defence, home field advantage, and experience, which is why he likes Tampa Bay to win this at home. Defences win big games, and this will be the one where the better one steps up. The Chiefs might build a lead, but TB12 and co. will work to erase and overcome just like in Super Bowls of past.
Bucs 28 Chiefs 24

That’s it for the final prediction of this NFL 2020/21 season.
Huge thanks to the NFL for making it all feel ‘normal’ again. What are we going to do without you?
Thanks for listening, please share and we will continue to make more during the offseason.

49ers vs Saints-TB

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With the SuperBowl less than a week a way, it’s time to take a hit of nostalgia as we take a look back at one of our NFL in London events. It’s time for some NFC playoffs throwback as we look at the 49ers vs Saints game from the 2012 playoffs.

For those of you who might remember some of our NFL in London early locations, we use to host NFL viewing parties in the basement of the Sports Bar & Grill in Marylebone station.
Back then the SB&G wasn’t a Stonegate chain just yet, so the owner liked to have a lot of fun, ad wasn’t swayed by things like ‘late licenses’ and all that.
We would gather to watch the games until the wee hours of the basement, and those who needed to pop out to have a smoke, made sure not to draw attention to themselves.

Who could forget the loveable staff, amazing wings, funky smelling backroom, and next door Travelodge-where you could get a room for £25 a night, and a hooker knocking on your door a few hours offering company and a continental something-something.

Comedy was also a big part of these NFL nights, as we tapped into some of the biggest comedy acts on the circuit to entertain at halftime to a generally non responsive audience. Comedians like Scott Capurro, Dave Hill, Tom Rhodes and Reggie Watts all performed at the Sports Bar basement for a few beers and the chance to watch the NFL from home. Good times.

The date in question of this video is January 14th, 2012..although given that we are in the early hours here, it’s most likely already the 15th.
New Orleans had built up a pretty solid lead on the 49ers, until they were unable to withstand the comeback momentum of Alex Smith.
All of the fans in attendance had a great night, and the beers were flowing.

Have a little watch of the video and reminisce to the good old days. If you were there that night, please feel free to reach out and say hello.

We miss being able to host all of you guys during these trying times, but hopefully we will all be back soon again.

Stay safe, stay sane and we will all be back together again soon.

If you would like to see the epic final drive of the 49ers as they went on to munch on the Saints in an incredible game, here is the link.

Picks Six-Divisionals

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Hello there and welcome to another edition of The Picks Six, back again for (super) Divisional Weekend. Sadly, only four games this weekend and, horrifyingly, only 3 more after sunday night. That said, it does mean we’re coming to the business end of the season, and the remaining 8 teams all know they’re just 3 wins away from the ultimate goal of lifting the Lombardi trophy in SuperBowl LV. This weekend’s matchups are absolutely mouthwatering, with one-on-one spectacles like Jalen Ramsey vs Davante Adams, ultimate draft comparison with Lamar and Josh Allen, two of the greatest QBs ever going up against each other… oh and Tom Brady vs Drew Brees. You will all respect Baker vs Mahomes. You will. Let’s talk briefly about each game, and my pick for each of them.

Rams @ Packers 

The headline grabbing matchup between star cornerback and star receiver aside, this still feels like the ultimate game of offense vs defense. Despite the Packers’ alleged struggles against the run, they haven’t allowed a 100 yard rusher in almost two months at this point, and have tightened things up significantly on the back end, whilst their fearless leader continues to shred opposing defences en route to his MVP award. Rodgers has truly been peerless, and enjoyed his bye week whilst Aaron Donald was slightly injuring his ribs against Russell Wilson. You can probably guess where I’m leaning with this one: I just can’t see the Rams being able to score enough to beat this Packers team. If they get another defensive score – like the Pick 6 last week – they’d have a shot, but Rodgers has Adams, Tonyan, Jones, and the deep-threat of Valdez-Scantling and for me those weapons are too many to defend. Cam Akers has given the Rams some nice late season production in the latter stages of the season, and Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are a great pair of receivers, but is Jared Goff 100%? Surely he can’t be. If Blake Bortles had been there more this season, he might be given a shot, but it feels unlikely they’ll throw him in unless Goff’s thumb is really struggling. 

Therefore, I ask the question: can you beat Aaron Rodgers without a QB? Maybe. I saw this week that Aaron Rodgers is 0-2 in the playoffs against the number one ranked pass defense… which this season is the LA Rams. Jalen Ramsey’s stats are insane, but will need every bit of his smarts to stay with Davante Adams. I think the Packers will find special ways to get Adams the ball – he’s too good to not be involved, despite Ramsey’s attention. I don’t think this will be a back and forth shootout and if I wasn’t morally opposed to betting the under, I would suggest doing that. However, as it stands, with the line at -6.5, I like Green Bay to win and move on to the NFC Title game.

Ravens @ Titans 

Ooooooh this game. Saturday night football is electric. Lamar finally got the playoff monkey off his back with the revenge victory against Tennessee, and the Ravens will ride into Buffalo high on confidence and with a mean streak in tow. However, this isn’t the same old Bills team. This is Josh Allen’s Bills team. His partnership with Stefon Diggs is truly Box Office, and that Bills D is showing up late in the season like it should. Buffalo’s run game took a bit of a hit with the injury to Zack Moss, but really Buffalo’s most dangerous runner is… their main passer. Allen is so dangerous in the RedZone, and can create hell for defensive coordinators. That said, the Bills have struggled against the run, and the Ravens seem to want to run over everyone that’s put in front of them, and have done so successfully for about 6 weeks now. I love the one-two punch of JK Dobbins and Jackson in the backfield with their speed and shiftiness, and the threat of Mark Andrews and Hollywood Brown down the field. Baltimore are flying right now, but Sean McDermott has something special cooking in Buffalo.

I do feel that Buffalo wins this game, and I like a lot of points to be scored here. Bills Mafia will show up and be loud and I think will help propel Josh Allen to his second playoff win in two weeks. I think this will be a great game, with these two young star QBs showing why they are two of the new faces of the league. MVP Lamar will have his moments here, but I think the quality of Diggs down the field, with the underneath ability of Cole Beasley and (potential breakout star) Gabriel Davis, will give the Bills what they need to win this shootout.

Browns @ Chiefs 

The Baker vs Mahomes story has been told a thousand times, but that doesn’t make it any less enchanting. Mahomes visited Texas Tech and stayed with Baker, before becoming the Tech QB when Mayfield had transferred to Oklahoma. Then came the absolutely INSANE 66-59 game in October 2016. The game still holds almost every NCAA record for offensive statistics. The number one pick for Cleveland, vs the man Andy Reid and the Chiefs were so enamoured with they traded up to take him, and eventually pushed Alex Smith aside to complete his ascension. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have been an absolute powerhouse for multiple years now, and are the reigning SuperBowl champions for a reason. And, guess what? They’re better than they were last year. However, it’s been two decades since the Cleveland Browns were even approaching being as good as they are right now. Will there be a more confident team this weekend than the Browns? They just beat up their big brother and broke the curse at Heinz Field that’s lasted over 17 years. Not to mention, this is their first playoff appearance in about that long. On the face of it, this is David vs Goliath, and Vegas seems to agree – with the Browns 10 point underdogs. I see two options in this game. Either the Browns control the clock with the two-headed monster in the run game, and keep it close, or the Chiefs offense does what it does and scores 45 points against an under matched Cleveland secondary. Kansas City is so explosive, you can’t rule it out. 

That said, with the momentum from last week, I believe in Baker and the Browns. Do I believe they’ll win the game? … not entirely. But I absolutely believe the game will be close. Baker is playing REALLY well and will continue to put his team in a position to have a chance in this game. Kevin Stefanski’s return to the sidelines will only help the Browns case. The points line is 57!!! Insanely high, so I’ll leave that, but this could well end up being a shootout. That said, Browns +10.0 looks good to me. Furthermore, don’t be surprised if there IS an upset in KC… you’ve been warned.

Buccaneers @ Saints 

Brees vs Brady is a lovely way to end the weekend. Undoubtedly, Brady has been the more successful Quarterback, and yet Brees seems to be the one holding all the individual NFL league records. I saw a stat that says Tom Brady has the same number of playoff wins against the NFC as Drew Brees does… and Brady previous to this year only got to play the NFC in the SuperBowl… Yikes for Drew. Brees’ regular season success has been matched by the levels of playoff heartbreak he and New Orleans have had to endure the past decade. The Minneapolis miracle, the non-call of the PI against the Rams… I feel for the Saints. I really do. And just when they feel like they’ve got everything to make the Super Bowl again… Tom Brady joins the division. Ouch. Credit to the Saints, they’ve beaten these Buccaneers twice this year already, but the old saying goes “it’s hard to beat a team 3 times…” So maybe the Buccaneers can get their revenge? The Bucs are in a much different place now to when the Saints handled them easily around ⅔ of the season mark. Bruce Arians seems to have figured out how to make the most out of the pieces he’s got. I mean, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Scotty Miller, PLUS Gronk and Brate the Tight Ends… The Buccaneers have many different ways they can beat you, especially if they get the “old” Leonard Fournette like they appeared to last week against Washington.

This game is such a toss up for me right now. I’ve been a proponent of the Saints, and a disregard-er of the Bucs for most of this year, but I might have to jump (to the pirate) ship right now. Brady looks good, and the sheer number of weapons the Bucs have is terrifying. The way the Saints win this game is lean on Alvin Kamara, take the ball out of Drew Brees’ hands, and hope their D-Line can wreck the Tampa Bay game plan. That said, I think this is high-scoring and the Buccaneers keep it close. This will be a great Sunday night cap. I would only be surprised if this game was a blowout one way or the other. And whoever wins… gets Aaron Rodgers next week. Oooooooh tasty.

The Parlay

Combining the picks from above, £10 on the following four leg parlay pays about £450 depending on your bookmaker.

Green Bay -6.5

Over 49.0 points & Buffalo -2.5 

Cleveland +10.0

Over 52.0 points & Tampa Bay +3.0

Enjoy the games everybody! As always I’m @CallumJDSquires on Twitter & Instagram. Come say hey. Let’s get these Championships won next weekend and look forward to the Super Bowl. Stay safe and stay sane. 

Callum Squires is a diehard Dolphins fan, writer, and friend of NFL in London. 

Join our Facebook Group for more fun and hilarious NFL memes.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NFLinLondon

 

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.