3-fold thoughts....

Decent... First competitive home team since the Saints.
hopefully Pryor is there for the Raiders as he's entertaining and getting good...
hopefully Bridgewater is there!

It's 3 teams with a Top 10 pick in the next draft.

I think its great that we are getting a third game next year.

Raiders are apparantly due to play the Niners next year in the schedule and the word is that they will play it at Wembley to reduce the chances of fan trouble.

so i've decided I want to try and follow a NFL team I watch the Superbowl every year I try and understand whats going on I think I know the very basics about it I have no real intention to get madly involved a fairweather armchair man utd fan as it's called in England i've looked at the kits (like a lot my failed horse racing bets) I have a list of 5 teams please help me decide which one I should follow I then shall get my Madden 09 game out and pretend I know what i'm doing.

Houston Texans
San Diego Chargers
Minnesota Vikings
Oakland Raiders
Seattle Seahawks

I'm defo swaying between the Vikings or the Texans.

Texans :p

Out of that lot, probably Seahawks :p

If you have to choose out of that lot I'd go with the Seahawks....could go all the way this year, young dynamic QB, beast of a running back, half decent receivers and a hench D....oh and probably the best fans in the NFL, so much so they're called the 12th man and I believe jersey number 12 is retired for that reason....although someone may say I'm wrong on that one.

The only problem with Seattle, is that if you really get in to NFL and decide one day to go and watch a home game, it's a really long journey and Seattle has sweet FA to do there....highest suicide rate in the USA!

I'm on the fence regarding a UK based franchise, I can see the positives to it but can also see the negatives and a big part of me wants it to stay an "American sport" if you know what I mean. Talk of a Superbowl coming over here is ludicrous.

If a franchise did move over here, there is no way they could call Wembley home, they wouldn't fill it for every game and listening to Alistair Kirkwood on Talksport a couple of weeks ago, he doesn't think there are actually all that many venues in the UK that could host the International Series games due to stadiums not being long enough, he ruled out Old Trafford on the Radio from memory, if that place can't hold a game then where else can other than Wembley???

Surprised the Falcons have given up a home game for next season, really wasn't expecting that at all. Hopefully the away teams will be of a decent similar standard to the home teams so we'll get some close games....Steelers @ Vikings for example, not exactly two of the best teams in the NFL at the moment but what a game!

We can live in hope that the Eagles will fly on over here one day. :lux:

Two myths there:

1) plenty to do
2) Las Vegas wins the highest suicide rate award

Seattle isn't even in the top 15

Indianapolis, Minneapolis or New Orleans will host Superbowl 2018 with Minneapolis favourites as the Vikings will have a new stadium by then.

There is loads to do in Seattle! It's a great city!

It has some of the best bars in the US, a great craft brewery scene and home to some of the best bands of the last 30 years. Not to mention the Space Needle for views over the city, the Boeing museum/factory which is amazing, even if you aren't a plane geek.

It's on the edge of a beautiful national park (Olympic) which is home to some great wineries, which you can drive around in about 8 hours!

It's also close to Vancouver.

And to mention, your fact about highest suicide rates is incorrect. In 2011, it wasn't even in the top 15:
http://www.businessinsider.com/most-...es-2011-7?op=1

It's "trendy" to suggest suicides are high in that part of the country due to the high rainfall and supposed dreary weather. But try visiting...!

Haha! Good work :p

A few interesting things in this article: -

Roger Goodell: Playoff expansion a possibility for 2015
By Chris Wesseling

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap200...ility-for-2015

The NFL's competition committee opted against a recommendation last March that would expand the playoff field in the near future. Commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear Tuesday during the NFL Fall Meeting that the issue is back on the table.

The possibility of adding two teams to the postseason is one of the "priorities" for the competition committee in 2014, Goodell said.

"If expanding the postseason would allow other teams to get into the dance, and they have the potential of going on and winning the Super Bowl," Goodell explained, "that's a good thing for fans, that a good thing competitively."

If the new rule is adopted, it won't be put into place until the 2015 season because there are scheduling issues next season. Rather than two games apiece on wild-card weekend, each conference would expand to three games.

One possibility for squeezing in extra playoff teams is to reduce the preseason from four weeks to three, although the two issues are not necessarily related. Goodell reiterated that preseason games are not up to NFL standards.

Other issues Goodell addressed Tuesday:

» The NFL has no plans to place a franchise in London. "Our objective is to grow internationally," Goodell said. "We're responding to that interest in the game because the fans want to see it. ... There's a real interest in our game internationally."

» The league has found no evidence that Thursday night games produce more injuries than any other game. Ratings have more than doubled since NFL Network began broadcasting on Thursday nights. "It's our job to build 'Thursday Night Football,' " Goodell added, "and make it, this is where you want to be on Thursday night, watching NFL football."

» The NFL actively is looking for a solution that will return a franchise to Los Angeles, but it won't happen without a new stadium. Goodell stressed that it would have to be a site that works and allows for sustained success.

» Growing up in Washington, Goodell does not consider the Redskins name to be derogatory. He did emphasize, however, that the NFL has to keep an open mind because other people have a different perspective. "We need to listen and carefully listen," Goodell said, "and make sure that we're doing what's right."

» The NFL announced Tuesday that a third regular-season game will be added to the London schedule for the 2014 season. The Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders each will play one home game at Wembley Stadium next year.

» Goodell confirmed the three finalist cities to host Super Bowl LII in 2018. The three bid cities for the game are Indianapolis, Minneapolis and New Orleans.

» The league also passed a rule Tuesday during that will compel one team per year to participate in the HBO/NFL Films joint venture, "Hard Knocks."

Ah I didn't think of that and looking at the map the top left hand corner although I was told that it has lots to do and is a beautiful place.

I do think I will have to pick somewhere closer to the eastern side of the USA I may have to change my tactic of nice kits


What about Indianapolis Colts ??


I was also looking at rivalries I guess San Francisco and Oakland are not the best of friends or the New York teams.

Well there you go, you learn something every day. Maybe I'll visit one day!

Don't become a C*nts fan. Now that is a dull city :D

Here's my thoughts:

You need to use the odd full stop and comma every now and then.

There is one after "doing" and one after "Texans" - how many more do you want?!