2023 NFL London games: All you need to know as the Baltimore Ravens face the Tennessee Titans in final UK game (2024)

The 2023 NFL London games draw to a close this weekend as the Baltimore Ravens face the Tennessee Titans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the third and final UK matchup of the season.

A cast including Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Ryan Tannehill and Mark Andrews follow on from the visits of Trevor Lawrence, Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and Bijan Robinson in wrapping up another bumper UK schedule, before London passes the baton over to Frankfurt for two Germany games in November.

It marks the 16th year that a regular season game has been played in London since the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins in the first back in 2007, 2020 being the only year not to have hosted a game due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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How did we get here?

Long before the days of International regular season games, the UK notably hosted eight American Bowl pre-season exhibition games at Wembley between 1968 and 1993.

By Week Eight of the 2007 campaign, the Giants were moving to 6-2 with a 13-10 win over the Dolphins on their way towards winning Super Bowl XLII later that season.

The league returned in 2023 having played 33 regular season games in London after completing the clean sweep of teams last year as the Green Bay Packers became the 32nd and final franchise to make the trip across the pond, led by Aaron Rodgers in their defeat to the Giants in front of a raucous Tottenham crowd.

Beginning in 2022, teams are now on a rotation that will see every side play in another country at least once every eight years.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made history this year by becoming the first team to play back-to-back regular season games in London as they met and beat both the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills, lifting their tally of UK games to a league-leading 11 in the process.

Wembley Stadium hosted its 25th game while Tottenham Hotspur Stadium celebrates its seventh and eighth games following its first in 2019. Twickenham Stadium also notably hosted one game in 2016 and two in 2017.

The NFL recently announced the extension of its partnership with Tottenham Hotspur that will see the Spurs stadium host two regular-season games each year through to the end of the 2029-30 season.

As part of the new deal Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the only purpose-built stadium for NFL games outside of the US, has now been given the official status as the 'home of the NFL' in the UK.

NFL London's memorable moments

We look back on some of the greatest moments in NFL London games history...

Meet the teams

Jackson makes his London debut amid something of a new chapter for the former MVP quarterback after he and the Ravens agreed on a new five-year $260m extension in the offseason following a holdout over contract negotiations.

He is joined by first-year Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who traded in life with the back-to-back College National champion Georgia to succeed Greg Roman, tasked with installing the most diverse Baltimore offense yet in view of showcasing not only the ground threat of his star quarterback but also his passing expertise in a more spread-friendly offense.

Plans to do so have been enhanced by the drafting of electric first-round wide receiver Zay Flowers to line up across from trusted tight end Mark Andrews, while the Ravens also arrive armed with Odell Beckham Jr and Rashod Bateman after early-season injury setbacks for the receiving duo. Scottish edge rusher David Ojabo misses out in London due to injury, having also been sidelined for much of his rookie year with an Achilles problem.

John Harbaugh's side sit 3-2 having opened with victories over the Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals before suffering surprise defeats to the Gardner Minshew-led Indianapolis Colts and, most recently, the Pittsburgh Steelers either side of a dominant win over the Cleveland Browns. They head back to the UK for the first time since losing 44-7 to the Jaguars in 2017.

The Titans are coming off their first losing season in five years under the leadership of head coach Mike Vrabel, who has taken his team to the playoffs on three occasions. Vrabel's side slipped to a 7-10 finish to undo their strong start to the season last year following a seven-game losing streak, raising some question marks over the future of Tannehill at quarterback.

Henry can still pound the rock as ferociously as any running back in the league as defining figure for his side's offense, while the Titans sought much-needed support for young receiver Treylon Burks this summer by signing veteran star DeAndre Hopkins.

The Titans looked to the future by using the 11th overall pick on offensive tackle Peter Skoronski, while on defense Harold Landry III, Jeffery Simmons and Denico Autry can still combine to form one of the league's fiercest fronts.

Tennessee return for their second London outing after a 20-19 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers in 2018. They are 2-3 on the year after suffering a 23-16 loss to the Colts in Week Five on the back of a 27-3 win over Joe Burrow's Bengals the week prior.

REPORT: Jacksonville Jaguars 25-20 Buffalo Bills

The Jaguars weathered a frenetic atmosphere as they fended off the Bills and a magnificent travelling fan base 25-20 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to make it two wins from two at the end of a historic fortnight in London last Sunday.

Travis Etienne rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns including a stunning 35-yard burst, before Josh Allen's rushing score threatened late drama to cut the lead to five.

Doug Pederson's side would hold on to become the first team to play and win back-to-back regular season games outside of the United States, following on from their victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium seven days earlier.

A duel of stubborn defense saw Jags cornerback Darious Williams snag a spectacular interception on a Josh Allen deep-shot, while AJ Epenesa twice sacked Lawrence including a strip-sack-and-recovery to deny Jacksonville in their efforts to extend an early advantage.

The fresher-looking Jags led first through a Zay Jones touchdown as the Bills offense stuttered before Allen connected with Stefon Diggs to close the gap to 11-7 at the break.

Etienne finished with 26 carries for 136 yards and two scores, while Trevor Lawrence went 25 of 37 passing for 315 yards - of which 122 went to Calvin Ridley - and a touchdown.

REPORT: Atlanta Falcons 7-23 Jacksonville Jaguars

Calvin Ridley scored against his former team as the Jaguars marked their 10th game in London by marching to a 23-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium in the opening matchup of the international window.

The Jaguars carried a 17-0 advantage into half-time after Ridley's opening touchdown and a Darious Williams pick-six as Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder was intercepted on back-to-back plays.

Drake London's third-quarter touchdown offered hope of a comeback but a Falcons offense that had been largely blunted through the air struggled to bridge the gap in the closing exchanges.

Trevor Lawrence finished 23 of 30 passing for 207 yards and one touchdown, while Josh Allen had three sacks alongside one from Travon Walker amid a swarming display from the standout Jacksonville defense.

Goodell: UK franchise still possible

Speaking ahead of a fan event at Battersea Power Station in London this month, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell revisited the potential for a future UK-based franchise amid the league's continued growth overseas.

"I've said it every year here and every year I feel more enthusiastic about it," said Goodell. "We came here originally and it was more of a show, but now you can see it, we're in that stadium and you see how sophisticated the fans have become, how passionate they are and how well they understand the game.

"It's really not much difference being in the stadium here from a stadium in the states. I do believe a team could be successful here with the support of the fans and media, I think it's possible.

"I think there's still the competitive issue, that's the one we're still trying to really evaluate. Scheduling in the regular season is one thing but when you get to the postseason nobody knows who anybody is playing until you get to that Sunday night and that's a tough dynamic."

Going global

The NFL returns to Germany for a second year following the roaring success of its maiden regular-season game in mainland Europe in 2022 when Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Seattle Seahawks in Munich last November.

The Miami Dolphins are scheduled to meet the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs at the Frankfurt Stadium on November 5, with the same venue also playing stage to the Colts against the New England Patriots on November 12 as part of Frankfurt's rotation with Munich.

There will be no international game held in Mexico this year due to renovations taking place in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Further global expansion remains in the offing, with NFL executive vice president Peter O'Reilly recently telling media that the league is preparing for future games in Spain and Brazil.

The unofficial fourth London game

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium played host to the unofficial fourth London game on Tuesday night as the NFL Academy stormed to a 35-0 shutout victory over US opponents Erasmus Hall. It made it two wins in five days over American counterparts following on from Friday's victory over IMG Academy at Loughborough.

A brace of touchdowns from wide receiver Bryan Winter combined with scores from Ben Lax, Justus Seelig and Matthew Okunade in guiding the Loughborough-based Academy to a commanding win over the Brooklyn outfit.

Here was the new and exotic strand to the NFL London DNA. Perhaps it's most intriguing, innovative yet as traits of the pomp and passion of a high school football scene straight from a US Netflix series were translated onto the league's north London headquarters.

Inside the Huddle

Hear from Sky Sports NFL's Neil Reynolds and Jeff Reinebold on Inside the Huddle as they break down the biggest storylines from around the NFL while discussing league's return to London.

Jeff Reinebold: "I think it's the best pro football environment next to the Super Bowl that I've experienced. The amount of electricity that comes to town and all the things going on, how the fans come from everywhere across Europe to watch these games and be a part of the circus that only the NFL can provide.

"I remember when we did the tailgate at Wembley, to stand on that stage and see the sea of people out there, it was awesome. For guys like us who have a historical context of the game in the UK, it's just incredible."

Predictions

Neil Reynolds: "This is not me being bias because I'm about to head off an interview Odell Beckham Jr! But I'm picking the Ravens, I think they'll bounce back.

"They should have beaten the Steelers, they should have beaten the Colts a couple of weeks ago. There is some sloppiness there, but there is also the talent to put themselves in position to win those games. They could have easily been 5-0, I think they've got too much for Tennessee, but I do think it will be close."

Jeff Reinebold: "They are two very physical football teams. You think about the Ravens and they have battled multiple injuries early in the season, the fact they are in this position and probably should have beaten the Steelers last week, that's going to be a good team down the stretch. I'm going Baltimore."

How to watch on Sky Sports

You can watch the Ravens take on the Titans in the final NFL London game of the month on Sunday October 15, with coverage underway from 1pm ahead of kickoff at 2.30pm, live on Sky Sports NFL.

Around the NFL's Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler, Gregg Rosenthal make their return as part of the Sky Sports coverage as they join Neil at Tottenham before helping Hannah Wilkes and Phoebe Schecter guide you through the late slate of games from the Sky studio.