THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
It is October, which means that the National Football League International Series London Games are back!
Yes, the annual ritual of walking along either Seven Sisters Road (for Tottenham) or down Wembley Way (alternative routes are available!) the excitement the NFL brings each year never ceases to amaze. The season may be young, it is only Week 4, but in the first of this year's three games in London a lot was on the line. The Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders both traveled across the Atlantic with 1-2 records, and a loss would put them firmly behind the 8-ball after the opening months' action.
This may have been the first game in London, but the NFL has already forayed overseas twice this season: an opening week match in Melbourne, Australia, and just last week a game in Rio, Brazil. Huge crowds have filled the MCG and Maracanã Stadiums, as the league continues its global reach more effectively than any other major sport in America. London has always been a second home for the NFL, from that mid-'80s boom and the preseason games that would sell out the old Wembley Stadium, to the present-day purpose-built Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Strangely, the build-up to this year's first game was hampered by rumors of poor ticket sales and talk of how the NFL had lost its shine by perhaps outpricing the loyal fans, turning away those that had helped the rise in popularity that it benefits so much from now. Of course, where perhaps you may have been fortunate enough to attend two, now three, games, fans may now have to pick and choose which one to go to. It is also unfair to criticize "bringing poor teams over" each year, as when the selection is made, no one knows how the opening games will pan out. Indeed we regularly see the Jacksonville Jaguars twice a year, but they have built a playoff contender, so don't let their past fool you.
When the game at Tottenham kicked off under a sunny blue sky, the stadium was full; an attendance of 60,907 was later announced, so any worries that may have fallen on the marketing teams were put to bed. And that may have been where Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones was when he fumbled away the second snap of the game. Fortunately for him and the Colts, Washington could only manage a field goal. A tone was set, however, and the Commanders fans were up for the occasion as they rattled the Indianapolis offense some more, forcing a punt which resulted in another three points. All the early going was for the NFC East team, with a rejuvenated Marcus Mariota looking every bit the player we knew he could be when he first entered the league during the opening moments, but a leg injury meant he left the game and rookie quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis entered the game.
This was officially a Washington home game, and it showed as their fans, whether they made the trip from the States or were part of one of the largest UK fan bases, were loud and quite easily outnumbered their opponent. Moving into the second period of play, however, any momentum the Washington team had was lost with the injury to Mariota, and with Jones playing very cautiously the game became very fragmented. With just under four minutes left in the half, Jonathan Taylor, the Colts' star running back, went in for the game's first touchdown which came after a slow, meticulous drive that was helped by a defensive penalty to keep the ball moving. With three more points added to the Colts' lead just before halftime, it was clear that Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn had his work cut out for him to adjust for the second half.
Whatever Quinn said, it didn't make an immediate impact, and the new half started the same way the old one: a turnover, and points scored off of it. This time the Colts managed more than the field goal their "hosts" did and extended their lead with another Taylor short-yardage touchdown. The game was in danger of slipping away, with one of the biggest cheers – or was that jeers – when soccer legend Wayne Rooney was shown on the large screens, so at least the crowd was still in good spirits. Then a bolt from the blue as Kaliakmanis found wide receiver Treylon Burks down the left sideline for a 47-yard strike to really liven up the crowd and put Washington back in the game. After the Colts had added three, Daniel Jones started to take control of the game, and soon after the fourth-quarter restart he marched his team down the field and took the ball in himself from four yards out. With the score at 27-13, just two scores with over 11 minutes left, anything could happen. It was a sign, though, when the Colts added another field goal to wrap up the scoring and the mostly Commanders-strong crowd started exiting their seats.
As the lights started to glow brighter and the crowds dispersed into the North London night, it was time for the NFL to reflect on what was mostly a success. The game did peter out to an anticlimax, but you can't always have barnstorming classics; it will be the marketing and commercial side that will be scratching their heads the most. The stadium was full, but only after some drastic last-minute price slashing. The fans will still come; the league knows that, but a sense of fairness to its core base may have them thinking over the pricing in the future.
The winning coach, Shane Steichen, was enthused by the energy that the stadium brought: "Yeah, I think it's awesome. Any time you get a chance to come over here, London. We played in Germany twice, London twice. I thought the stadium was phenomenal. Fans were phenomenal. Great setup. State-of-the-art. Even this conference room is phenomenal. We're very fortunate to have the opportunity to come over here and play," he said afterwards.
The London games continue next week when the Philadelphia Eagles play the Jacksonville Jaguars, two well-supported teams that sold out the venue without having to drop prices, before moving on to Wembley Stadium, where the Jaguars host the Houston Texans.
