Since 2007, the NFL – the iconic American Football League – has regularly contested several of its pre-season games across the Atlantic, in England. With a total of 28 games (and counting) taking place overseas, English fans have enjoyed an unprecedented insight into the defining sport of the US.
A select few matches, however, stood out from the roaring crowds - we’ve ranked some of the most thrilling, dramatic and unpredictable NFL games that had us clawing the stadium rails until the very end…
5. Oakland Raiders 24, Chicago Bears 21 (2019)
In an ever-shifting narrative that saw each team on top multiple times, this thriller at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium kept us on the edge of our seats right until the final whistle. After a slow start, the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs scored a 12-yard touchdown in the opening play of the second quarter. They continued to have the momentum early on, powering on to lead 17-0.
But the story wasn’t over there – after heroic bursts of play by Tarik Cohen and Allen Robinson II, with an 89-yard scoring drive in a three-touchdown third quarter, the Bears clawed their way ahead somehow, and were leading 21-17 in the closing stages of the fourth quarter.
Two minutes left on the clock, and Jacobs – again – dived across the goal line for the Raiders, adding one final twist in the tale as he took his team into the lead for good this time, winning 24-21.
4. Los Angeles Chargers 20, Tennessee Titans 19 (2018)
This agonizingly close finish was exacerbated by a series of missed chances for the Titans – an early red-zone interception and a missed field goal saw the players commiserate what could have been at the end of the game.
But they remained in the tense, tactical battle throughout. A strong start for the Titans saw them surge to a 20-13 lead, yet the LA side had the chance to win it with an 89-yard drive to bring the Chargers within touching distance, at 20-19, with less than a minute to play.
They could have kicked for an extra point, and levelled out the score, but the Titans fearlessly went for it, attempting a two-point conversion in the final run of play. Marcus Mariota’s pass fell short, and the Chargers hung on for a lucky victory in one of the tightest games NFL London has ever seen.
3. Detroit Lions 22, Atlanta Falcons 21 (2014)
A 21-0 lead at the half-time break would normally see any team confident of the win. But this riveting game at Wembley proved an exception to that rule, with one of the most dramatic shifts in play and momentum in the NFL’s short history in London.
Whatever was said in the Lions’ dressing room that break we’ll never know, but they came out a different side – and the comeback was on with a 10-point third quarter. After edging their way back to 21-19, Detroit re-gained possession with 1 minute and 38 seconds remaining, and Matt Prater fired a sensational 48-yard field goal to give the Lions the slightest, and no doubt the sweetest, of victories.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars 34, Buffalo Bills 31 (2015)
This gripping rollercoaster of a game seemed over before it had barely begun when the Jaguars stormed to a 27-3 lead thanks to a four-touchdown rampage in the second quarter.
Somehow though, as with most of these epic clashes, the underdogs clawed their way back – at least for a while. Corey Graham’s pick-six off Blake Bortles saw the end of a surging run for the Bills, etching them ahead 31-27 with just over five minutes to play. The Bills had defied the odds and overturned the huge deficit, convincing everyone at Wembley that this was the final twist of the day.
But a move as dramatic as the game itself swiftly changed that, as Allen Hurns’ diving touchdown grab from 31 yards saw the Jaguars edge their way in front, for good this time. In an incredibly fast-paced, high-standard game, it seemed wrong that any team had to emerge losers – but the Jacksonville side, who have played on English soil more than any other NFL team, were determined it was not going to be them.
1. New Orleans Saints 37, San Diego Chargers 32 (2008)
This epic clash, the highest scoring NFL game in London, was all about the quarterbacks – Brees managed three touchdowns for the Saints, while Rivers posted 341 yards, three scores and one interception, showcasing a glimmer of the very best the NFL has to offer.
With the Saints leading 37-20 late into the fourth quarter, the game – impressive as it had been – seemed well and truly over. Out of nowhere, San Diego scored a field goal and followed with a touchdown, reducing the margin to 37-30. Game on.
But it was a gap the Chargers couldn’t quite bridge, ultimately. Rivers struck a vital interception to Jonathan Vilma with less than two minutes on the clock and Brees took an intentional safety in the last minute, helping to secure a 37-32 win for New Orleans.
It may have only been the second NFL game played across the Atlantic, but there’s yet to be a match more thrilling, competitive and high-quality. We look forward to it.
