Four exciting NFL teams are getting ready for another trip over the pond for the NFL London Games 2021. The Coronavirus pandemic caused the 2020 NFL games in the British capital to be cancelled. However, now that coronavirus restrictions are easing in the UK, the NFL London Games 2021 can go ahead as planned. European fans will be ecstatic as they finally get a chance to watch NFL action live!
As always with this exciting sport, you can expect to see action-packed matches with some of the best athletes on the planet facing off in an amazing show of sporting prowess. We’re going to run you through everything you need to know about the NFL London Games 2021, including how you can get tickets to the matches.
History of the NFL in London
The history of the NFL in London begins in Mexico City where the first NFL league game was played outside of the U.S. It was a huge success, drawing crowds of over 100,000 fans which was the biggest game attendance at that time. This got the NFL elite thinking and was the start of the NFL International Series.
The first NFL game to be played on British soil was in October 2007. Wembley Stadium hosted the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants. It was a close battle, with rain lashing down making the pitch almost unplayable (for Americans at least). The Giants won 13-0 and went down in the history books as the victors of the first-ever NFL London Games.
Since then, London has now hosted 28 NFL matches and 31 of the 32 NFL teams. Most of the games have been played at Wembley, while others have been played at Twickenham and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. As it stands, the NFL has a contract with Spurs that states a minimum of two NFL games per year will take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The contract terminates in the 2027/28 season but most UK fans will be hoping for an extension.
NFL London games 2021 dates
There are only two NFL games scheduled in London this year which are both taking place in the Autumn. The New York Jets take on the Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Dolphins will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. The NFL has stated that they will continue to put health and safety first and that the games are subject to UK Covid regulations. However, there have been many large sporting and music events taking place in the UK over the summer. So, fans will be pleased to know that it’s looking likely these games will go ahead.
Atlanta Falcons VS New York Jets (Sunday 10th October, kickoff 2.30 pm)
Jacksonville Jaguars VS Miami Dolphins (Sunday 17th October, kickoff 2.30 pm)
Where are the NFL London Games 2021 being played?
The NFL London games 2021 are going to be hosted at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It has been dubbed as the best live sports stadium in the world. It cost over $1 billion to build and has a capacity of 62,850. It’s the only purpose-built NFL stadium outside of the US. The turf pitch that Spurs play on week-in week-out can be split into three sections and rolled away to reveal the permanent NFL pitch that lies underneath.
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A little bit about the teams playing in the NFL London Games 2021…
There are four teams in this year’s NFL London series. Each team has some of the NFL’s biggest stars. They will all be geared up to put on a show for their UK and European fans. Here’s a quick overview of each of the teams coming to London this October.
New York Jets
The Jets play out of Florham Park in New Jersey. They’ve only won one Super Bowl in a historic upset against the Baltimore Colts in 1969. Originally known as the New York Titans until 1963, they are one of the founding football teams of the National Football League. The Jet’s have a checkered past with a run of good form in the ’80s and early ’90s which saw them reach the playoffs five times. They made the playoffs again in the 2011 season before a record losing season in 2012.
Last season was another one that the Jets will want to forget. They finished with two wins and 14 losses so they will be looking to bounce back this season. They have played one preseason game so far this season in which they secured a victory over local rivals New York Giants. They’ll be hoping to do the same in their remaining preseason games so that they can start the season full of confidence.
Their defensive line is their strong point this season. It’s filled with players like Carl Lawson, Quinnen Williams, Sheldon Rankins and John-Franklin Myers. They’ve been compared to ‘the avengers’ as each defensive player has their special power. Jets fans will be hoping they can make it to the playoffs and end the decade long drought.
Atlanta Falcons
Atalanta Falcons became the 15th National Football League franchise in June 1965. The capital of Georgia was battling to become part of the league for some time before insurance executive Rankin M. Smith closed the deal. The Falcons had their first winning season in 1971 and finished with a mark of 7-6-1. It wasn’t until 1998 that the Falcons experienced true NFL success. It will be a year that all Falcons fans will never forget. Atalanta stormed the NFC West division with a 14-2 record and continued their good form throughout the playoffs. They went on to win the Super Bowl XXXIII.
Unfortunately, their recent form hasn’t been so good. They finished in last place of the NFC South division with a record of 4-12-0. This bad form continued into this season’s first preseason game for the Falcons. They got annihilated 23-3 by the Tennesee Titans. This will give the Jets hope that they can beat the Falcons when the two teams come to London. Atalanta has recently signed veteran running back D’Onta Foreman to add some depth and experience to the backfield.
Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins have a great history and got their pro football career off to a great start. They joined the National Football League in 1966 as the ninth franchise. They bucked the trend of struggling in the initial years in the big leagues that most teams experience. In fact, by their sixth season, they were the first-ever team to score a perfect record, winning every game in the 1972 season. In total, they have won five AFL titles and 13 AFC Eastern Division championships.
Last season the Dolphins narrowly missed out on securing a wild card into the playoffs, losing out on points scored to the Los Angeles Rams. It was a pretty good season with the Dolphins finishing with a record of 10-6-0. However, fans will have been disappointed not to make the playoffs.
To prepare for the upcoming season, the Dolphins have been enjoying joint practice sessions with the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons. It’s giving them a chance to tackle someone other than their teammates and is helping them to feel out some of the competition ahead of the 2021/22 season. The training sessions didn’t help them beat the Bears in their first preseason game though. They lost 20-12 to the Bears in Chicago.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Compared with the other teams in this list, the Jaguars are a relatively new franchise. Getting into the NFL wasn’t easy for the Jaguars but after a few years of negotiations, they played their first NFL game in 1995. They joined along with the Carolina Panthers as the two NFL expansion teams entering the League that season.
The Jaguars are the dedicated home team for the NFL London games, making them popular among UK fans. They’ve played a home game in London every year since 2013 with a record of 3-4 for games outside of the US. They will be returning this year to try and improve their record by beating the Miami Dolphins at their home ground.
It’s safe to say that fans will be repressing the memories of last season because the Jags had one of the worst seasons in their history. They finished with a record of 1-15 which means they only narrowly escaped losing all of their games. To try and improve their performance this year, the Jaguars have signed the superstar rookie quarterback, Trevor Lawrence.
Lawrence knows how to win and in fact, he has only lost four games since he started high school with a record of 90-4. Some critics and fans are sceptical that he will be able to achieve such greatness in the NFL. Terrance responded with: ‘Obviously the competition is different - you’re playing the best of the best - but that mindset is important. You still have to expect to win.’. So, fans will be hoping that Lawrence’s winning mindset can filter through the team and lead them on to a successful season.
How to get NFL London 2021 tickets?
So, the NFL London Games 2021 should deliver some interesting games. If you’re an NFL fan living in the UK, you’re probably wondering how to get NFL London 2021 tickets? Right now, tickets are only available to NFL Wembley season ticket holders. They are available until 5 pm on Friday 20th August. However, please be aware that lots of people are having issues with the ticket purchase process. Some people waited in a 4000 person queue to be told they were not eligible. The issue seems to be with receiving the correct pin once your account has been verified. So, be sure you follow all of the steps to the letter to avoid disappointment.
General ticket sales open up on Wednesday 25th August at 10 am. The prices will range from £60- £137 depending on the location of the seats. If you fancy splashing a little more cash, premium tickets are already available to purchase with prices ranging from £259 - £799. Of course, if you miss out on the general ticket sales, we will be sourcing and listing the best tickets available on the secondary market. Just check out our NFL ticket page closer to the time.
We hope anyone going to the game has a fantastic experience watching live NFL action at the best sports stadium in the world! We would love to hear from you about the game in the comments below.
