The NFL will be playing games in England for the 11th straight season – and now we know when two of the four games in 2017 will take place.
Since the 2007 season, the NFL has been spending some time overseas with games being played in London. It started with the Miami Dolphins taking on the New York Giants over a decade ago, and will continue with four more games this coming season.
Now, we officially known when two of those games will be taking place. In Week 3 on September 24th, the Jacksonville Jaguars will give up another home game as they host the Baltimore Ravens inside Wembley Stadium. The following Sunday, October 1st, it will be another Florida team, the Miami Dolphins, who will be “hosting” the New Orleans Saints.
Two more games will be played during Week 7 and Week 8 as the Los Angeles Rams will host the Arizona Cardinals and the Cleveland Browns will be the home team against the Minnesota Vikings. The Rams are giving up a home game each year they are playing in the L.A. Coliseum, while the Jaguars continue their annual trip that started in 2013 and will go until at least 2020.
NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk also reported that the Oakland Raiders, who have applied for a move to Las Vegas, will be hosting the New England Patriots in a game played in Mexico City. It will be the second straight year after they took on the Houston Texans last season there.
Arizona, Baltimore and Cleveland will each be making their first appearances in the International Series this season, leaving just five teams who have not played an overseas game since it started (Carolina, Green Bay, Philadelphia, Seattle and Tennessee).
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The series has not been all that popular in the United States. Between thoughts that it might lead to a permeant team or teams overseas to the level of competition seen most of the time (looking at you, Jaguars), there is a thought by some that it has outstayed its welcome.