Vikings triumph over lacklustre Steelers
The NFL International Series returned to Wembley once again in September, with the ‘home team’ – the Minnesota Vikings – coming out on top in a close 34-27 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A bumper crowd of 83,518 watched on as Leslie Frazier’s Vikings claimed victory despite an injury to starting quarterback Christian Ponder, handing Matt Cassel the chance to impress, and the former New England Patriot didn’t disappoint, throwing for 248 yards and two touchdowns, with both going to wide receiver Greg Jennings.
Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson lived up to his MVP status with a stunning 60 yard touchdown, to the delight of the UK fans who turned out in great numbers once again to witness the NFL in London.
Both sides were coming into the contest with 0-3 records, having lost every game in the season, and something had to give. In the end, Pittsburgh almost forced overtime by drawing level, but it wasn’t to be, and the Vikings claimed their first win of the season.
Popularity rising?
The growth of American Football in Britain continues to be demonstrated, despite a slight decrease in attendance for the Vikings vs Steelers game, but with another match on the horizon, many fans will have been saving their money for the game between the San Francisco 49ers – last year’s beaten Super Bowl finalists – and the currently winless Jacksonville Jaguars next week.
The popularity of the International Series was also shown by the amount of bookmakers offering odds on the game. Most bookmakers in the UK now offer game-by-game odds, and in depth previews are available on games to help provide tips and understanding of the game.
This trend will continue when the 49ers and Jaguars meet at Wembley on October 27th, with a number of markets available for the game, and the occasions are likely to become even more popular, especially after commissioner Roger Goodell announced there will be three games at Wembley next season, featuring the Jaguars, the Atlanta Falcons and the Oakland Raiders as the home teams.
The Jaguars, who will play a home game at Wembley each year until 20106, have been the subject of intense rumours suggesting that owner Shad Khan will relocate the team to London, though this seems incredibly unlikely, especially after Goodell stated this month that there are no plans to give London its own franchise, despite rampant speculation of such an expansion taking place, and the NFL would instead concentrate their effort on growing the sport in Britain first, before any plans to have a permanent team in England are made.
Goodell: “A lot would have to happen” for there to be a franchise in London. It’s about growth now, he said.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 8, 2013