NFL announces London games for next season, featuring 3 2017 playoff teams
The 2017 NFL season isn’t even over yet and the league is already putting its PR machine behind 2018’s slate of London games.
It’s no secret that Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL want to establish a foothold in Europe, and that desire doesn’t seem anywhere near satiated.
The league announced a trio of games planned for the 2018 NFL season on Thursday.
Of note, in 2017 there were four games played in London. However, the subtraction of a game seems more to do with giving the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium ample time to be ready for play, as opposed to any sort of indication of NFL demand in London.
On Oct. 14, the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders will play in Tottenham stadium.
Both teams underachieved in 2017, with neither squad qualifying for the playoffs.
That being said, the Seahawks and Raiders still sport two of the more sizable fan bases in the NFL, so there will still be plenty of intrigue for their international duel.
That game will also be new Raiders head coach Jon Gruden’s debut in an international NFL game.
Two more games will occur on Oct. 21 and 28. While the matchups are set, it’s still undecided which will get which October date.
One of the planned games will be between the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Both teams qualified for the 2017 NFL playoffs, and both are set to play in the divisional round. Aside from any injury setbacks, the Eagles and Jaguars should both return young and talented defenses.
Barring a setback in his knee injury recovery, Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz will also get to make his international debut.
The other game will feature the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Titans stunned a lot of people with an upset over the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2017 wild-card game.
The Chargers, meanwhile, barely missed the playoffs. Unfortunately for them, a red-hot second half of the season couldn’t overcome their 0-4 start to the season.
The NFL also features an international game in Mexico City as part of its NFL International Series.
While the official matchup has not been announced, one of the teams involved will be the Los Angeles Rams, per the LA Times.
The 2017 NFL season will officially conclude with Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4.
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