The NFL international series takes the iconic American game abroad, being played across landmark London venues, including Wembley, Twickenham and more recently the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. This season the NFL has also taken teams to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and is set to play in Munich’s Allianz arena on November 10.
San Francisco 49er’s super fan and media personality Mark Castanon (aka. 49ER Mark), sees the NFL’s international series as an opportunity for the NFL to grow its international fan base – as after all the “NFL corporation is nothing but business!”
Mark has attended several international games in London. His favourite, however, was between his own team the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos; the 49ers won 24-16 and remembers the game fondly. “It was so cool to see NFL jerseys worn by people from so many different countries.” However, many of the fans are Americans coming from continental Europe and across the United Kingdom, creating an electric atmosphere in London on the days leading up to the game(s). By having the NFL play in a venue local to the foreign fans it can provide them with the chance to engage with the NFL fan base – even if it’s not their own team playing, “that’s okay! The NFL is playing in your backyard!” says Mark.
This year’s international series’ games have had their fair share of drama, suspense and thrilling moments. Both games so far have been played at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, with the first game of the International series seeing the Minnesota Vikings claim a 23-17 win over the New York jets. The Vikings played a dominating game from the start, with a 17-7 lead to the Vikings at the break; the second half saw the Jets rally, and a touchdown by Garett Wilson saw them come within 3 points. A crucial throw by Aaron Rodgers late in the game saw the Minnesota Vikings hold on to the win.
The second game saw the Chicago Bears defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-16 with a dominant performance from the start, with the Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams putting on a convincing show of his ability in front of the 61,000 person crowd, despite the Bears falling behind early in the game. Williams outshone the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence – throwing down an exceptional four touchdowns. The Bears’ victory was significantly aided by a series of mistakes and false starts made by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The next game in the international series is coming up on October 20, as the Jacksonville Jaguars face the New England Patriots at Wembley stadium.
“2022 NFL London Games Celebration” by UKinUSA is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
