Football gets an early start Sunday as the NFL kicks off its yearly international tour with the NFL London Games. With some preseason favorites struggling, and a couple of surprise teams sitting atop the standings, Week 5 will be a chance for those contenders to right the ship, while other teams will look to prove their staying power. With a full slate of football from morning to night, here are the three games you don’t want to miss.
New York Jets (2-2) @ Minnesota Vikings (4-0) - 9:30 a.m. ET The NFL’s first game of the day has a variety of intriguing storylines to follow, the first being where the match-up takes place – in London.
As the NFL continues its expansion as a global brand, fans can take in the game at the home of Tottenham Hotspur or at local bars featuring an American football takeover. Wherever fans watch the game, count on it being loud – Sky Sports NFL analyst Phoebe Schecter said she received a call from Buffalo tight end coach Rob Boras following last year’s game saying the noise was comparable to a Bills home game. Minnesota will be looking to use some of that noise as fuel as the Vikings have never lost in London – a perfect 3-0 in their visits to England’s capital.
What’s more surprising is Minnesota’s 4-0 start to the season, given that ESPN had them 23rd in their preseason power rankings. A major reason has been the play of quarterback Sam Darnold, who got the starting job after first round pick JJ McCarthy had season-ending surgery..