Tag: London

The winners, times, and top photos from London Marathon 2024

Check it out!

On the heels of the Boston Marathon, the 2024 London Marathon kicked off on Sunday, April 21. This internationally known race began creating a name for itself in 1981 and has grown to host tens of thousands of participants. According to Reuters, this year’s London Marathon hit a new record for attendance with 54,281 runners. Find out which of these runners came out on top, and see some incredible photos from the 44th London Marathon below.

The 2024 London Marathon winners were Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso with a time of 2:04:00 for the men’s race, and Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir with a time of 2:16:16 for the women’s race. Jepchirchir and second- and third-place runners Tigst Assefa and Joyciline Jepkosgei all beat the former women’s race record time of 2:17:01. This former record time was set by runner Mary Keitany during the 2017 London Marathon. Jepchirchir’s win sets a new women-only world record time.

In the elite women’s wheelchair race, Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner won out with a time of 1:38:54. Another Swiss athlete, Marcel Hug, won the men’s wheelchair race with a time of 1:28:35.

Check out stunning snapshots from the race in the photo gallery below, and discover more cool marathons here.

Broncos won’t play in London or Germany next season

The Broncos will not play in England or Germany next season. Teams for the Brazil game have not been announced yet.

The NFL has announced four designated “home” teams for international games in 2024, and the Denver Broncos are not among them.

The Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars will “host” games in London, England and the Carolina Panthers will be the “home” team for a game in Munich, Germany next fall.

We know the Broncos won’t be the “away” team for the London or Germany games because the Bears, Vikings and Jaguars are not on Denver’s 2024 schedule, and the team’s game against the Panthers will be played at home.

There is one more international game on the NFL’s 2024 schedule set to be played in São Paulo, Brazil, but the Broncos are also unlikely to play in that contest.

The Miami Dolphins seem likely to be chosen as the “home” team for the Brazil game, but that has not been officially announced yet (the NFL said Thursday that the Brazil home team will be revealed “in the coming months”).

If Miami is the Brazil host as expected, Denver won’t have an international game next season because the Dolphins are not on the Broncos’ list of 2024 opponents.

Denver will play an international game by 2030 because every team is required to play at least one international contest every eight years (the club played in London in 2022).

If the Broncos are selected as a future “home” team, their most likely international destination is Mexico. The NFL will not play an international game in Mexico in 2024 due to Estadio Azteca renovations, but the league plans to return to Mexico City once those renovations are complete.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

Back-to-back London games possible for Jaguars with Bears in U.K.

The Bears in London means the Jaguars could potentially play back-to-back games overseas again in 2024.

The NFL announced Thursday that the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and Jacksonville Jaguars will all play home games in London during the 2024 season, which raised the possibility that the Jaguars will again play back-to-back games overseas.

In October 2023, Jacksonville became the first team to play two international games in the same season when they played the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills in London in consecutive weeks. The Week 4 game against the Falcons was designated as a home game, while the Week 5 game against the Bills was on the road.

“I think we want to see how it goes, what are some of the learnings from it, and I think if it works, we’d like for it to continue in the future,” Jaguars owner Shad Khan said before the first of the two games.

The trip worked out well for Jacksonville with the team picking up back-to-back wins that sparked a win streak through the remainder of October. Still, the Jaguars were fortunate that good weather allowed them to practice outdoors leading up to a game against the Bills.

The Bears are one of nine road opponents for the Jaguars in 2024. While it remains to be seen who Jacksonville will host at Wembley Stadium, the Jaguars could theoretically be the team that faces the Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The NFL typically announces the schedule for the upcoming season in May.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Vikings to have home game in London in 2024

This will be the fourth game the Vikings will have played in London

The Minnesota Vikings are set to play in London for the second time in the last three years. The league announced on Thursday that the Vikings will be hosting a home game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during the 2024 season.

The Vikings are 3-0 in regular season games in London. The last time the Vikings had a home game in London was the 2013 season where they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-27. They also beat the Cleveland Browns 33-16 in 2017 and the New Orleans Saints 28-25 in 2022.

Who the Vikings will play in London is currently a mystery and will be announced during the schedule reveal in May.

[lawrence-related id=88783,89169,89143,89141,89134,87235,89129,89057,88720]

NFL targeting Brazil for a 2024 International Series game

The NFL is targeting Brazil for a 2024 International Series game. Which stadium could play host? Would you want the Saints to make the trip?

Now this is interesting. Multiple reports from NFL ownership meetings in Dallas say the league’s decision-makers will be voting on a potential 2024 regular season game to be played in Brazil, with a verdict coming as soon as Wednesday afternoon.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has made the league’s International Series a point of emphasis on his annual agenda — we may never see a Super Bowl played overseas or have an NFL team headquartered outside America, but Goodell clearly sees room for expansion in international markets. After kicking off games in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Mexico, he’s looking to Brazil as the next hotspot in 2024 (plus Spain in 2025, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports).

So where could that game be played? Venues used for recent international NFL games include London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (seating over 60,000) and Wembley Stadium (seating more than 85,000), Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca (capacity for 78,000 seats) as well as Germany’s stadiums in Munich (the 69,000-seat Allianz Arena) and Frankfurt (Deutsche Bank Park, seating about 51,000).

That’s an average capacity of about 68,600 seats. If that’s in the ballpark of what the NFL is looking for in a venue, São Paulo has one clear option: the Estadio do Morumbi (which opened in 1960, easily seating 66,000). The city is also home to the Arena Corinthians (opened in 2014, seating 49,000) and Estádio Prudentão (built in 1982, seating 45,000) as alternative sites.

Now, what you’re really here for: could the Saints be involved? The answer to that is a soft “maybe.” New Orleans will not lose another home game to an international game in 2024 after doing so in 2022’s matchup with the Minnesota Vikings in London. NFL ownership previously agreed that every team would play a “home” game overseas once every eight years, but they’re voting soon on whether to shorten that to a four-year gap, so the Saints could make the trip as visitors.

An NFC team is expected to host the game in Brazil (if approved by league ownership), per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, and the Saints have away games scheduled in 2024 with the following opponents in their conference:

  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Dallas Cowboys
  • New York Giants
  • Same-place NFC North team (right now, the Green Bay Packers)

We can rule out the Packers, Falcons, and Buccaneers because they have “hosted” international games in recent years, leaving the Panthers, Cowboys, and Giants as options to host. We should acknowledge the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears are eligible to host the game in Brazil if the Saints end up playing a difference NFC North team in 2024, depending on how the final divisional standings shake out.

But there’s another factor to consider: the NFL’s international marketing rights for Brazil have been awarded to just one team, the Miami Dolphins. It’s likely they would want the Dolphins to be involved because of that (or at least, the Dolphins would want to be involved), even if they’re playing as visitors. Miami has made a number of overseas appearances including a game in Frankfurt this year. They’re a likelier fit than the Saints.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Ravens get much-needed win, defeat Titans 24-16

A much needed win, the Baltimore Ravens were victorious in London, UK over the Tennessee Titans in Week 6.

The Baltimore Ravens were victorious in London, UK, over the Tennessee Titans in Week 6.

It was a much-needed win, and the Ravens should hang their hats on the offense’s play and quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Firstly, offensive coordinator Todd Monken deserves credit for making play-call adjustments. Monken opted for a total of 29 running plays and 30 passing plays.  It’s called balance, and this play style allows for the Ravens offense to settle in and get Jackson in rhythm.

Jackson played exceptionally well today, barring the interception throw to Sean Murphy-Bunting in the third quarter.

Earlier this week, we explained how tight-end Mark Andrews needed early involvement. His four catches for 69 yards yielded a 17.2 yard-per-catch average and forced Titans safety Kevin Byard to tally eight solo tackles today.

By tiring out the Titans’ defense with systemic quarterback runs and roll-out schemes, the Ravens offense dictated at the line of scrimmage, allowing just one sack. Now at 4-2, the Ravens can take this momentum and aim to stake as the power team in the AFC North.

Jaguars want to avoid London hangover: ‘We can’t lose what we gained’

The Jaguars got their season back on track in London. Now they have to avoid laying an egg and blowing the momentum.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are standing a little taller after winning back-to-back games in London. They left Duval with a losing record, but return at 3-2 after wins against the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills overseas.

Now they don’t want to blow it by laying an egg against the Indianapolis Colts.

“We can’t lose what we gained over in London,” Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk said Wednesday. “We have some momentum now. … Not having that London hangover, it’s important for us — it just goes back to bringing that energy that we had.”

A year ago, the Jaguars’ trip to the U.K. wasn’t as positive as their 2023 one. Trevor Lawrence threw for 125 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in a 21-17 loss to the Denver Broncos that proved to be a rock bottom of sorts for the quarterback.

Jacksonville returned home to get a 27-20 win against the Las Vegas Raiders in the next week to get back on track. But that win required a ferocious comeback after the Jaguars fell into a 17-0 hole in the first 20 minutes of the game.

“We need to guard against a little bit of a lull that happened to us last year when we came back,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday. “It’s something that I’ll continue to talk to the team about.

“Going away for ten days was good for us, but we’ve got to bring that energy back. We can’t leave it in London. That’s a big part of this week but playing a divisional opponent can help that.”

In Week 1, the Jaguars earned a 31-21 win against the Colts, rallying from a fourth quarter deficit with two touchdowns in the last six minutes of the game. Indianapolis also has an eight-game losing streak at EverBank Stadium that dates back to 2015.

A loss to the Colts, who are set to start backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II, wouldn’t just erase the team’s momentum. It’d put the Jaguars in a hole in the AFC South and force them to make another climb back into the postseason hunt.

“We’ve got to continue that, the energy that I saw the last two games on the sidelines in Wembley and Tottenham,” Pederson said. “The way the guys were flying around, we can’t leave it in London. It’s got to come back with us and we’ve got to experience that again this Sunday.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Report card: Bills lose to Jaguars, 25-20

Report card: #Bills lose to J#aguars, 25-20:

The Buffalo Bills traveled across the pond to London to face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars in NFL Week 5 and left with a 25-20 loss.

It wasn’t a tip-top performance by the Buffalo, who entered the contest on a hot streak in their last several games, as their scoring in this one only took place in the first and last quarters.

The Bills return stateside to regroup and turn their attention to a matchup against the Giants next Sunday.

Here is the Bills Wire’s Week 5 report card for the Buffalo Bills (3-2) following the game:

Doug Pederson ‘very mindful’ of rest as Jaguars adjust to time change

The Jaguars now face the challenge of getting their internal clock back to normal after playing back-to-back games in London.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were on the right side of an acclimation discrepancy in Week 5 after spending two weekends in London while the Buffalo Bills arrived just a few days before game day. This week, the opposite is true.

After flying back to Florida following back-to-back wins in England, the Jaguars now have to adjust back to the Eastern Time Zone before a Week 6 game against the Indianapolis Colts. While they’ll have about a week to get their internal clocks back to normal before the 1 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson isn’t taking the challenge lightly.

“The fatigue aspect is real,” Pederson said in a Monday press conference. “It takes a couple of days to get back on the Eastern Standard Time from a time zone that’s actually five hours ahead. It does take a couple of days.

“I’m going to be very mindful of that this week and making sure the guys get plenty of rest during the week but at the same time, getting our work done the rest of the week and preparing for Indy on Sunday. It’s a give and take this week, the players have to understand that, and we still have to get our work in.”

In previous years, the Jaguars and other teams that traveled internationally for a game typically had a bye week on the schedule to aid the adjustment process. But that wasn’t the case last season when the Jaguars returned to win a home game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

On Sunday, Pederson said Jacksonville wasn’t interested in taking a bye after the two-weekend trip to London.

“We’re still so early in the season after five games to take the bye this early,” Pederson said. “It’s a long season, a lot of football left, and so I feel like if you can push your bye towards the middle of the year, it might benefit you. But I’ll do my part to help our team recover this week coming up.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Bills’ Stefon Diggs remains confident: ‘We will be better and we must’

#Bills’ Stefon Diggs remains confident: ‘We will be better and we must’

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been known to put up top-five NFL numbers at his position.

He also wears his heart on his sleeve to display his passion and emotions.

Sunday in London, where the Bills came up short against the Jacksonville Jaguars 25-20, was no exception.

Diggs put up a season-high 121 yards receiving on eight catches with a touchdown. He also showed a display of emotions from trying to lift and fire up his teammates when LB Matt Milano went down with a potentially season-ending injury on hard turf, to slamming his tablet in frustration at something he saw in a replay.

The Jaguars’ social media team took full opportunity to poke fun at the instance after the game.

Diggs does hate losing, and those feelings were on display.

He also felt there was something missing in the teams’ spirit on the trip.

“I felt like we did have a little – I’m not gonna say (we were) lackadaisical – but we were kind of just (didn’t have that) let’s go get it, let’s get after it, (attitude),” Diggs said during his postgame press conference. “We were trying to figure it out but that lack of sense of urgency, it showed.”

The spark or spirit the team seemed to be missing was noticed by the receiver because, normally, it’s something they do have.

“We have it in practice and you try to build off of it in the game. It’s supposed to be easier,” he said. “You work hard in practice and it’s (supposed to) carry over,” he added.

That being said, he also pointed out that there was that spark in the fourth quarter.

“When we get in that mode of not necessarily rushing but more so OK, we gotta score, you saw that,” Diggs said.

The Bills’ offense only had seven points through three-quarters of play thanks to the Diggs TD via Allen, Despite success in recent weeks, the offensive unit gained fewer than 20 yards on six of their first eight drives. This was followed by a fourth-quarter run that simply was too late to complete the comeback bid.

The WR1 made no excuses when asked if the travel, timezone change, and jetlag were a factor against a Jags team that had already been in London playing a game against the Falcons a week earlier.

“It’s easy to say that after the game,” Diggs pointed out. “Like if we won I would what would you have said? Like yeah, we were tired, or yeah we were this, or yeah we were that, but you know it’s easy to use an excuse I’m not a big excuse guy so I won’t say it.

Tired or not, or whatever, you’re going to get up to play a football game you know? I’m saying you get up to do the things that you love and play this game cuz it’s a blessing. Also, prayers for the guys we got hurt, but I won’t ever use the excuse.”

Personal responsibility and not making any excuses is a Bills hallmark under HC Sean McDermott’s leadership. It was a sentiment echoed by Bills QB Josh Allen as well, who went 27-of-40 with 359 yards and three total touchdowns, two throwing and one rushing, with one interception.

“They were ready. We weren’t,” Allen said.

And Diggs made his stance clearly aligned with the team as well.

“You know I feel like we could play better, we will be better and we must.”

[lawrence-related id=124096,124064,124060]