ESPN Power Rankings: Browns climb to No. 16
October 8, 2013
While We’re Waiting… Defense the word with Cavaliers
October 9, 2013The NFL announced today that a third game will be added in London for next season.
The Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars and Oakland Raiders will all be ‘home’ teams for one of those games. Their opponents or the week they play in England won’t be announced until the 2014 schedules are completed and revealed at the end of the football year.
The Browns are scheduled to play both the Jaguars and Falcons next season on the road. That road could end up being in London.
The Browns have home and road games against the three other AFC North teams, plus home games against the Texans, Saints, Colts and Buccaneers and the AFC West same place finisher. They have road games against the Jaguars, Falcons, Titans, Panthers and the AFC East same place finisher.
The Steelers played the Vikings in Wimbley Stadium in week four, and Jacksonville ‘hosts’ San Francisco later this month to conclude the pair of games scheduled there this season.
[Related: Power Rankings, Browns move up to 16]
33 Comments
Would be great to play there instead of the Georgia Dome.
Would be great if these were all prime time. But honestly to me an away game is an away game. Don’t really care if it’s in London or Atlanta. Most Browns fans will still be watching on TV. Now, if we lost a home game because of London I would be really mad.
I think logistically it can’t be a Primetime game here. London is 5 hours ahead, so if you put it in Primetime here, they’re playing the game in the “wee” morning hours over there.
Jacksonville is a scheduled host in London for the next 3 years as well…hello, London Jag-u-ahs.
Vikings 1-3
Steelers 0-4
Jaguars 0-5
Falcons 1-4
Raiders 2-3
When you care enough to send the very best.
they generally kickoff at 1pm EST (6pm UK time). so, normal kickoff times for us.
As a British Browns fan, I could not be more excited by the possibility of seeing them over here.
It’s Wembley Stadium, by the way…….
We also “could” end up playing the Raiders if we end up the same place in our respective divisions (not sure if home/away though).
Yeah, that handwriting is on the wall…..
cool, as long as we dont lose a home game.
Right. So even if they moved the game back to 8PM their time, it’s still 3PM here and that doesn’t jive with the NFL’s kickoff schedule.
All games played over here in the last few years have been 1PM your time.
do you think there’s enough support for American football over there to support a team full time? Or do you think it’s better off as a novelty, happening only two (and now three) times a year?
The London team would have a killer schedule, with 8 away games in the States. Say the schedule calls for them to play the NFC West or the AFC West. Traveling to the West Coast from our East Coast is a haul. Doing it from London? Grueling.
Not that Goodell would care.
Truthfully no, we Brits who follow American Football have adopted teams already. A new franchise would have to be everybody’s adopted second team. Not enough for me to invest in a season ticket. As it is two trips to wembley a year is fine. I was a Viking for a day ;-}
I wonder if that might change once it becomes “your” team though. Also, I would be surprised if only 1 team ends up across the pond. Logistics seem to work better with 2 teams (play 2 roadies across, then get your bye — UK teams then can play each other to make 3 in a row before traveling to the States).
It would have to be done intelligently (uh oh, schedule-maker SW required).
Playing the AFC or NFC West?
Okay, make sure both Away games are back-to-back and the team stays out there on the “between” week and they get their bye week after that stretch.
It also lends itself easier to having 2 bye weeks in the NFL season, which means an extra week of NFL football (an 18 week schedule rather than an 18 game schedule).
It may do, but its a heck of a gamble. And, as it has been previously pointed out ‘road’ games take on a whole new meaning. Also, each time a team comes over, and players are interviewed, they think its a great idea as long as it doesn’t involve them upping sticks and coming across the pond.
Although I do see it as an ambition of the commissioner to see it happen.
I definitely do not see two London (or British) teams, there is not the fan base for that. The other ‘big’ fan base is in Germany, which adds another couple of hours traveling.
yeah, I was thinking possible Scotland since the Claymores did well for the World League, but it would be a big gambit. I agree that Germany is likely too far until the NFL can actually field a division in Europe (which may never happen).
Ryan Clark (whoever that is) just said today that the Steelers are going to make the playoffs.
I think the tax implications would be a big negative for the team and the players.
Takes away Matt Ryan’s biggest advantage. Hopefully someone decent calls the game. Never again do I want to hear Marv Albert call a football game.
Browns host same place finisher from the AFC West. Therefore, we wouldn’t be playing the Raiders across the pond. The team we likely host would be Norv’s old team.
Hey Stooler fans: Tashaun Gipson is a better FS than Ryan Clark.
And you chose the Browns? Or did they choose you?
The only downside of the awful Steelers is that they may get Clowney
Hi I am a mad dawgs fan in the uk and lucky enough to get in the old dawg pound against the jets in municipal stadium and on the road against the colts at RCA dome in 94, I love NFL along with a lot of fans in the UK and we are very knowledgable but I don’t know if a franchise would work? But only for the reason that we all have our teams allready! I go to all the London games with my E Rock 75th anniversary shirt and get a buzz watching the top players playing in a meaningful game, although I love going to watch the NFL London I can also understand that the local die hard fans of the teams that come over are annoyed at losing a home game, but I would say if you can come over the pond embrace the experience and you will have an amazing weekend away and friendly fans and good beer and food 🙂 Go Browns, hope to get over to the new stadium soon and back down the flats……
Hi I am a mad dawgs fan in the uk and lucky enough to get in the old dawg pound against the jets in municipal stadium and on the road against the colts at RCA dome in 94, I love NFL along with a lot of fans in the UK and we are very knowledgable but I don’t know if a franchise would work? But only for the reason that we all have our teams allready! I go to all the London games with my E Rock 75th anniversary shirt and get a buzz watching the top players playing in a meaningful game, although I love going to watch the NFL London I can also understand that the local die hard fans of the teams that come over are annoyed at losing a home game, but I would say if you can come over the pond embrace the experience and you will have an amazing weekend away and friendly fans and good beer and food 🙂 Go Browns, hope to get over to the new stadium soon and back down the flats……
I personally think the easiest (maybe not most logistical friendly) way to handle a london team is: Weeks 1-4 are away games in the states, Weeks 6-12 are home games playing a team that gets a bye week afterwards, Week 13-17 are away games in the states. They do not play in a conference or division and only qualify for wild card playoff birth in both the afc and nfc.
Unless you put an entire division in Europe I don’t really see how you can keep it from being a disadvantage with traveling. If they had their own division with 4 teams, again same scenario. 8 away in 4 game stretches, then 8 against each other right in a row.
It’s probably best as a novelty. They need a team in LA before they ever put one overseas.
As a fan that spends most of my time in Atlanta, I would be bummed if the game was moved to London.
Saw the Indians play the Braves for 2 of the 3 games in Atlanta and enjoyed it, even though they lost both games.
you had me at good beer