NFL set to take foreign shores by storm

Article posted by Coliseum, May 11^th, 2023

Image: Waldstadion (Frankfurt), Arne Müseler/www.arne-mueseler.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 de

The National Football League (NFL) is heading back to Germany in 2023.

‘NFL’ stated that the league revealed its slate of international games for the upcoming season on May 10^th, including two contests set for a new German City: Frankfurt. Two of the NFL’s international series games will take place at the Frankfurt Stadium, marking the second German City in which an NFL game will have been played.

New York (US)-based the National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference.

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The 2023 NFL season is scheduled to be the 104^th season of the National Football League. The season is planned to begin on September 7^th, 2023, and will end on January 7^th, 2024.

‘NFL’ further stated that last season, the NFL made its maiden voyage to Germany with a Week 10 game between the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Munich’s 75,024-capacity Allianz Arena.

Fans have the opportunity to register for tickets to the 2023 NFL London Games and the 2023 NFL Germany Games online.

Here is the full slate of five international games during the 2023 NFL season:

Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Where: The 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium | London, United Kingdom
When: 9:30 am ET on October 1^st (Week 4)
How to watch: ESPN+

The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, US. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference South division. They play their home games at the 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, US. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League as a member club of the American Football Conference South Division. The team plays its home games at the 67,838-capacity TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars returned to prominence in emphatic fashion in 2022 and are looking to take the next step toward legitimate title contention. London – a known bastion of Jaguars fans – will be ecstatic to welcome the upstart squad to its second home for a game against a team that would very much like to join Jacksonville among the ranks of NFL surprises.

Atlanta made noise in the offseason and will bring new star power in the form of first-round pick Bijan Robinson (running back) and major free-agent addition Jessie Bates. Jacksonville will arrive in London with a clear franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence (American football quarterback) and expectations that come with winning a playoff game a year after picking first in the Draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Buffalo Bills
Where: The 62,850-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | London, UK
When: 9:30 a.m. ET on October 8^th (Week 5)
How to watch: NFL Network

The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area (US). The Bills compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference East division. The team plays its home games at the 71,608-capacity Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

A battle of legitimate contenders is headed overseas. Jacksonville’s litmus test arrives in Week 5 when the Jaguars take on the Bills, and officially gauge their place among the AFC powers.

Buffalo isn’t expected to depart that group any time soon, while the Jaguars are aiming to find a permanent place. Each team boasts a star quarterback in Lawrence and Josh Allen (Bills quarterback), and both have plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Despite their history traveling overseas, the Jags will count this as a road game for scheduling purposes. The Bills know the time is now to capitalize on their title window after falling short in the playoffs in the past few seasons. They could also send a message to an upstart by reminding them who sits among the conference’s elite.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Tennessee Titans
Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium | London, UK
When: 9:30 am ET on October 15^th (Week 6)
How to watch: NFL Network

The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference North division. The team plays its home games at the 71,008-capacity M&T Bank Stadium and is headquartered in Owings Mills, Maryland.

The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League as a member club of the American Football Conference South division, and play their home games at the 69,143-capacity Nissan Stadium.

The Lamar Jackson (Ravens quarterback) situation has finally been resolved, clearing the way for the Ravens to move forward with their franchise quarterback at the front of the train. Tennessee, meanwhile, isn’t facing as certain of a situation. Ryan Tannehill (Titans quarterback) returns as QB1 for 2023, but second-round rookie Will Levis (Titans quarterback) lurks as the Titans’ long-term option. There’s no telling who will play quarterback by Week 6, given Tannehill’s struggles to stay healthy last season, nor can we guarantee the Titans will be in a good place as they approach a crossroads of a 2023 season.

Baltimore’s productive offseason stretched well beyond re-signing Jackson. The Ravens had a strong Draft and have pieced together a team that includes plenty of defensive playmakers and some tantalizing potential on the offensive side. Tennessee will hope to keep up in its first international series game since the 2018 season. Both of these teams have only made one trip overseas since the NFL launched the international series, and neither has played outside of the United States in the last four seasons. That means one will see a showdown of two teams largely experiencing the international series for the first time, adding an unfamiliar element that should boost the intrigue.

Miami Dolphins vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Where: The 51,500-capacity Deutsche Bank Park | Frankfurt, Germany
When: 9:30 am ET on November 5^th (Week 9)
How to watch: NFL Network

The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference East division. The 65,326-capacity Hard Rock Stadium in Florida serve as their home digs.

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri (US). The Chiefs compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference West division. The 76,416-capacity Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City serves as their residence.

The start of November will bring a clash of AFC titans in Germany. Kansas City enters 2023 as the reigning Super Bowl champion with a title to defend, while the Dolphins aim to prove their hot start to 2022 wasn’t just a fluke. Add in the element of unfamiliarity that comes with flying overseas for a big game, and one has a contest that will undoubtedly be worth waking up early to watch.

Let’s not forget the star power, either. The Chiefs arrive in Germany with superstar quarterback and two-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City quarterback) leading them into the league’s first-ever game in Frankfurt, while Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins quarterback) Tyreek Hill (Dolphins wide receiver) and Co. touch down with one goal on their minds: Score touchdowns. Bring your earplugs: The fireworks are guaranteed to come with this one.

Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots
Where: Deutsche Bank Park | Frankfurt, Germany
When: 9:30 am ET on November 12^th (Week 10)
How to watch: NFL Network

The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis, US. The Colts compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference South division. Since the 2008 season, the Colts have played their games in the 70,000-capacity Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league’s American Football Conference East division. The 65,878-capacity Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts serves as their home ground.

Each of these teams would like to forget the 2022 season, and thanks to the arrival of the 2023 campaign, they’ll have plenty of opportunities to wash away the sour taste of last year. Consider this trip to Frankfurt an unexpected dash of flavor.

Also consider this a tale of two differing franchises with a similar goal: A return to prominence. A new regime is in charge in Indianapolis, where the Colts are looking to turn the page toward a fresh chapter with Head Coach Shane Steichen and fourth-overall pick Anthony Richardson at the front of the herd. New England, meanwhile, returns a familiar cast of contributors with a goal to make amends for last season’s disappointment. One can’t guarantee either will be at the front of the AFC pack by Week 10, but one can promise the international fans a renewal of an old AFC rivalry that could carry significant implication as the season nears Thanksgiving.

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