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Ranking the 10 best NFL London games so far

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With multiple games played in the U.K. every year, keeping track of the best NFL London games ever played has become increasingly hard.

The history of the NFL in London dates back to 2007, and there’s even talk about a potential NFL franchise in London. That makes this a good time to look back at the greatest NFL London games we’ve seen thus far.

Ranking the 10 Best NFL London Games

Obviously, the hope is that the best NFL London games are yet to come, especially if there is ever a full-time team there. But we’ve seen more than enough great games take place in London to rank the 10 best NFL games played across the pond.

10. Eagles 24, Jaguars 18 (2018)

The Jags are no strangers to playing in London, but they didn’t have the best luck on their 2018 trip.

The game went back and forth, but Carson Wentz and the Eagles were able to seize control in the second half. Wentz finished with 286 passing yards and three touchdowns to help Philly hold off the Jaguars in the second half.

    

9. Panthers 37, Buccaneers 26 (2019)

Even though this game was Kyle Allen against Jameis Winston, the London fans got their money’s worth.

The Bucs were playing catch-up all day after falling behind 10-0 early. That led to Winston throwing five interceptions, which means for him the game was memorable for all of the wrong reasons.

8. Bengals 27, Washington 27, (2016)

Ties are unsatisfying, but they are undoubtedly exciting. After all, the second half of this game featured three lead changes.

The London fans also got to see Kirk Cousins throw for 458 yards with both teams having two receivers who hauled in at least 99 receiving yards. Ultimately, a Dustin Hopkins field goal with less than two minutes left sent the game to overtime, but neither team could score in the extra session, resulting in a tie.

7. Jaguars 23, Dolphins 20 (2021)

This rivalry between Sunshine State teams was played in London in 2021, and it didn’t disappoint. Miami led at halftime and then re-took the lead in the fourth quarter behind 329 passing yards and two touchdowns from Tua Tagovailoa.

    

But rookie Trevor Lawrence played well too, throwing for 319 yards and a touchdown. Lawrence helped position the Jags for two 50-yard-plus field goals in the final five minutes, including one as time expired that gave Jacksonville the win.

6. Raiders 24, Bears 21 (2019)

This game was truly a tale of two halves, which the London fans surely appreciated. After a scoreless first quarter, the Raiders scored 17 straight points in the second quarter. But the Bears struck back with three touchdowns in the third quarter, including two touchdown passes by Chase Daniel.

But Daniel also threw two interceptions in the game while Josh Jacobs rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns. That includes the game-winner from two yards out with less than two minutes in the game to win it for the Raiders.

5. Vikings 34, Steelers 27 (2013)

Both teams brought their offense across the pond in this game, as Ben Roethlisberger threw for 383 yards to lead the Steelers while Le’Veon Bell scored a pair of touchdowns. But Adrian Peterson was a little better, rushing for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

The Minnesota defense eventually came through when called upon as well, forcing a late fumble to prevent Roethlisberger from leading the game-tying drive.

4. Chargers 20, Titans 19 (2018)

This classic London game ended on a two-point conversion try. Down by a touchdown, Marcus Mariota led the Titans down for a touchdown with 31 seconds left.

Mike Vrabel took a chance by going for two points. Even after the Chargers committed a penalty, Tennessee’s second attempt ended in an incomplete pass, giving the Chargers a narrow victory.

3. Lions 22, Falcons 21 (2014)

Of all teams, the Lions came up with one of the best comebacks the London fans have ever seen in one of the best NFL London games to date. Detroit turned a 21-0 deficit into a 21-19 deficit, only to miss a two-point conversion that could have tied the game.

But Matthew Stafford got one more chance, driving the Lions from their own seven-yard line to the Atlanta 31-yard line, setting up a Matt Prater game-winning field goal at the buzzer.

2. Jaguars 34, Bills 31 (2015)

This looked like it would be a one-sided game when the Jaguars jumped out to a 27-3 lead midway threw the second quarter. But the Bills didn’t go away, mounting a comeback that included a pick-six by Corey Graham to give Buffalo a 31-27 lead in the closing minutes.

But after throwing that pick-six, Blake Bortles was able to recover, throwing a 31-yard touchdown pass to a diving Allen Hurns with just over two minutes left. The Jaguars managed to hang on for the win in what was surprisingly one of the best NFL London games.

1. Saints 37, Chargers 32 (2008)

Thus far, a 2008 game between Drew Brees and his successor Philip Rivers is the best the fans in London have seen. Brees and the Saints ended up on the winning side of things after Rivers threw an interception with 1:18 left in the game with the Chargers trailing by a touchdown.

But prior to that, Brees and Rivers put on a great show, combining for 680 passing yards and six touchdowns. To their credit, the Chargers made a comeback effort, trailing 37-20 early in the fourth quarter, only to come up a little short in a classic London game.

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