Five of the best NFL London games of all time

Since the NFL made the decision to play regular season games in London in 2007, it has seen a huge rise in the popularity of the sport in the UK as well as some games which have transcended time and will live long in the history of the NFL. Here are five of the best NFL games London has seen. 

 Just mere months before the Raiders would move to Las Vegas, where they have resided since January 2020, the Oakland Raiders played their third London game in franchise history as they faced the Chicago Bears, in what was the first ever NFL game in the all-new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And it was an opening game to remember.  

A quick start from the Raiders, and Josh Jacobs, the team in black sped out to a 17-0 lead at the half, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.  

To add to the drama, the Chicago Bears had traded for former Raider and one of the league’s best defenders Khalil Mack who, in the third quarter, recovered a Raiders’ fumble which gave the Bears offence three consecutive possessions, in which they converted all three into points, taking the lead 21-17.  

However, it would be the Raiders who had the last laugh, as running back Josh Jacobs added to his match stats with a two-yard touchdown run to seal the win with under two minutes left. The Bears had a chance to win the game with the final drive of the game, however, quarterback Chase Daniel’s throw was intercepted by Raiders corner Gareon Conley to ice the game for the Raiders.  

4 – October 26th, 2008, Wembley Stadium – San Diego Chargers 32-37 New Orleans Saints 

Considering this was only the second ever NFL game in London, it certainly still sticks in the memory of those who witnessed it, and it still remains the highest scoring game in London Series history 16 years later, with 69 total points scored.  

This game was back and forth for all 60 minutes. And to add to the dramatics of this fixture, Saints quarterback Drew Brees was playing against his former team, as well as the quarterback the Chargers brought in to replace Brees, in Phillip Rivers.  

This game was all offence and no defence, with both quarterbacks combining for a total of 680 passing yards and six passing touchdowns and just one interception.  

If that wasn’t enough, despite the Saints leading for most of the game, the Chargers always responded by scoring points, and they were never out of it, adding to the anticipation and nerves of the fans in Wembley Stadium that day.  

In a game full of legends, the backdrop of Wembley and the city of London only added to the atmosphere.  

It was a matchup of two future hall-of-famers in Vikings running back Adrian Peterson cementing himself as one of the greatest running backs of all time, and ‘Big’ Ben Roethlisberger in the home of the real Big Ben, it was sure to be a thriller.  

And sure enough, it was. Big Ben, put up an astonishing 383 passing yards and a touchdown. On the other hand, Peterson put up 140 rushing yards and two touchdowns.  

After going 17 points behind, the Steelers began the comeback in the fourth quarter, and on the final drive of the game, Roethlisberger took his team down to the six-yard line with just 19 seconds remaining. However, it wasn’t to be, as Vikings DE Everson Griffen sacked Roethlisberger and stripped the ball free, ending any hopes of a comeback.  

A game that sticks in the memory immediately when thinking about the London games is this one.  

London, and in particular, Wembley Stadium is somewhat of a second home for the Jacksonville Jaguars, with it being the most supported team in the UK and getting a game across the pond every year since 2013.  

So, what is the best way to please these hardcore British Jags fan? Dominate your opponents of course, and that’s what they did as they smashed the visiting Baltimore Ravens by 37 points. 

The game was all Jaguars, as tight end Marcedes Lewis scored three touchdowns and quarterback Blake Bortles passed for 244 yards and four touchdowns.  

The Ravens scored their only points in the final quarter, with a running touchdown making the score slightly less humiliating, however it was only a consolation, as the Jags players and fans were already celebrating a historic win in the English capital. 

The title of best London game of all time goes to this one from the 2015 season. And who better to earn this title than the Jaguars, who have a special relationship with London.  

The Jags scored 27 points in the second quarter to go into the break 27-3 up. However, the Bills scored 28 unanswered points to take a 31-27 lead in the fourth quarter.  

This is where the game reached its climax, with just minutes left in the match, Jaguars receiver Allen Hurns made a breath-taking 31-yard diving grab to score a touchdown and give his team the win in London.  

A memorable moment for everyone involved, and one that lives on in the minds of all who witnessed it.  

With the Jaguars facing the Bears at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 13th as well as the New England Patriots at Wembley a week later, will we see another historic game?