The NFL's continued devotion to playing games in the UK may irk their American fan base, but it's a vital part of the league's long-term plans for expanding its footprint. This season featured three games at London's Wembley stadium, including one featuring the Miami Dolphins. It appears they will make a return trip in 2015 according to a report by The Palm Beach Post.
Dolphins likely London bound in 2015, Texans support Ryan Mallett as starting QB, and other NFL news
Elsewhere, the Packers may play without both starting guards this weekend.
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For Dolphins fans that like to watch the team in person, this could end up being bad news. As the report notes, the league is considering moving one of the team’s home games to Wembley, reducing the number of true home games to seven. The positive side of this is any team that desires to host a Super Bowl must play a home game in London within a five-year window, suggesting that Miami could receive the big game in the near future.
Texans players happy with switch to Mallett
The Houston Texans made a seismic shift this week, benching veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick for the untested Ryan Mallett. Head coach Bill O'Brien tutored Mallett during his days as the offensive coordinator in New England, and he has apparently decided the timing is right to hand the keys to the offense over to the fourth-year signal caller with seven games left to play. Quarterback switches can be divisive decisions in the locker room, but apparently many Texans players are thrilled with the development.
According to a report by the Houston Chronicle, Mallett received "a lot of fist bumps" when he was announced as the team's starter. Though that certainly is good news for the young quarterback, he'll need to build on the optimism with a strong showing against the Cleveland Browns this Sunday. If he plays well enough in that game and through the rest of the season, the free agent to be should receive plenty of attractive contract offers this offseason from the Texans and others.
Packers could be without both starting guards
After the Packers' 44-23 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 8, the headlines focused on a hamstring pull for Aaron Rodgers. That injury was viewed as minor at the time, and the bye week allowed him to heal completely. However, the same cannot be said for Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang, the Packers' two starting guards who suffered lower body injuries that kept them off the practice field Wednesday and may hold them out of an important Week 10 showdown with rival Chicago.
It’s difficult to ascertain which injury is more serious. Lang sprained his right ankle during the first quarter of the Saints game and could not return, but the prospect of surgery has not been discussed. Sitton on the other hand tore a ligament in one of his big toes and played through it, but his foot specialist mentioned toe surgery as a possibility. Both will be reevaluated Thursday.
Foles days in Philadelphia may be numbered
Due to an unfortunate hit to his shoulder, quarterback Nick Foles will miss most or all of his team's remaining regular season games with a broken collarbone. During his absence, the Philadelphia Eagles will run with Mark Sanchez under center. While this switch seems temporary on the surface, a report by the NJ.com suggests that the team may use this as an opportunity to move on from Foles.
Last year, Foles posted a tremendous 27:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. 2014 has played out far differently as the quarterback has already tossed 10 picks in just eight games. At the same time, Foles has seen his completion percentage drop from 64 to below 60.
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