The NFL returns to the United Kingdom for games in London after a hiatus last season during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this year’s London games are lackluster once again with the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons meeting this Sunday in Week 5, and the Jacksonville Jaguars hosting the Miami Dolphins next Sunday in Week 6.
The NFL has yet to send an impressive team to London in nearly 30 games. In some odd twist, every game so far has featured losing teams. Then again, with the Jacksonville Jaguars usually hosting one of the London games, it’s been an unlucky draw every year.
| NFL 2021 LONDON GAMES |
- Week 5: New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons
- Week 6: Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars
There’s been rampant speculation that Jaguars owner, Shad Khan, will move the team to the UK as the first-ever non-American team in the NFL. The London Jaguars have a nice ring to it.
One of these days, the Jaguars will play a proper NFL team in London. Too bad the NFL does not export the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs game this week, because Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen will put on a spectacular show and demonstrate to a stadium full of American football fans what supreme offenses looks like.
New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons
The first game back since 2019 is one of the stinkers on the schedule. If you ask me, the Jets/Falcons game between two of the worst teams in the NFL, is the Poo Emoji Game of Week 5.
The Jets are fresh off their first win of the season and they celebrated like they won the Super Bowl, because when you’re a member of the sad-sack LOL Jets, you do not win too many games. Last season, the Jets won too many games to qualify for the #1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and missed out on the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes. The Jets selected Zach Wilson with the #2 pick and the rookie finally looked halfway decent in a victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 4.
The Falcons would be a winless team if they didn’t luckbox a victory against the New York Giants in Week 3. Matty Ice looks like Matty Room-Temperature Water through the first four weeks of the season, which is a shame because Matt Ryan was an NFL MVP candidate only a few seasons ago. He will be without top wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who is excused for a personal issue. He will not make the flight to London. Russell Gage is also out with a sprained ankle, so Ryan will not have his top two wideouts in London.
The Falcons are -3 favorites over the LOL Jets, which will kick off in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday at 2:30pm local time, or 9:30am ET/6:30am PT.
Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars
Next week, the Jaguars will host their annual game across the pond in a battle of crappy teams. Bollocks! Toss that game full of wankers in the rubbish bin.
The winless Jags are an underdog against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5, so there’s a good chance they’ll be 0-5 when they take the field at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next Sunday in London. At least NFL fans in the UK and Europe will get a glimpse at Trevor Lawrence, the #1 pick in the most-recent NFL Draft.
The Miami Dolphins won their first game of the season, but lost three in a row. They should stumble into London with a 1-4 record next weekend and riding a four-game losing streak. The Dolphins face the Tampa Bay Bucs this Sunday, and the Bus are our primary Survivor Pool pick in Week 5. Tua Tagovailoa has been out with fractured ribs. The Dolphins starting quarterback expects to return in time from the London game.