30 most insane stats in the NFL so far this season
By Nick Villano
18. The first international special teams score
It took 50 international games to see a special teams score
As the stat states above, this season saw the NFL pass 50 international games. Thirty-six games have been played in London, six in Toronto, five in Mexico City, two in Munich, and one in Frankfurt, Germany. The NFL has been trying more and more to be a global game, and the success of the London trips and its ensuing expansion has helped the NFL build interest in the game outside of North America.
There are so many great plays that these international audiences saw. That famous Larry Fitzgerald catch where he seemingly jumped 10 feet in the air to beat out a 49ers cornerback happened overseas. They’ve seen a double flea flicker by Jared Goff that led to a Cooper Kupp touchdown. London has seen the Jacksonville Jaguars make it their second (or first) home.
However, the fans had never seen one of the most exciting plays in the sport. There are few things in sports like the special teams touchdown. The London fans were finally treated to one this season, when Parker Walker ran back a punt 98 yards for a Jaguars score. It was against the New England Patriots with two of the worst teams in the league trying to race away from the bottom of the standings.
Walker’s return was one of the many reasons Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo called his team soft. Can you blame him? This has never happened before.