Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott would welcome a return trip to London despite admitting his side seemed sluggish in their 25-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Buffalo, led by quarterback Josh Allen and seeking their fourth straight victory, entered Sunday afternoon’s contest on a high after beating the Miami Dolphins but found themselves up against an 11-0 deficit after the first quarter.
Though the ‘host’ Bills, who enjoyed the majority support of a raucous 61,273-strong crowd, twice found themselves a touchdown away from staging a fourth-quarter comeback it was the Jags – coming off last weekend’s 23-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley and perhaps better-adjusted to the time zone – who ultimately held on.
Asked if Buffalo, who only arrived in London on Friday, might have been affected by the travel, McDermott said: “We’ll see if, whatever comes up down the road in terms of us coming back here, but we need to evaluate everything because I didn’t feel like our energy was good enough early in the game.
“They had better energy than we did. We’re going to fly back tonight, watch the film on the way home and learn from this and we’ve got to get ourselves back where we need to be fundamentally. It’s just talking about throwing and catching, tackling, right?
“Most of the things that are at the forefront of some of the reasons why we got the result we did today.
“We would absolutely [come back]. We enjoyed just the opportunity to be over here. It’s an honour to be selected to play here and we’re certainly appreciative of our hosts in London.”
While Buffalo had not played in the UK since 2015, Jacksonville have contested at least one match in the British capital every year since 2013 save 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic prevented international matches.
With Sunday’s victory, the Florida outfit became the first team to win NFL international matches in back-to-back weeks, with some speculating they were given a boost both from their familiarity with the UK grounds and, against Buffalo, were the better-adjusted opponent due to remaining in London between contests.
The Jags certainly looked the sprightlier side in the first quarter and Trevor Lawrence the more effective quarterback, Zay Jones completing the first touchdown and Travis Etienne, who would later make two TDs of his own, adding the two-point conversion.
Buffalo, who lost key linebacker Matt Milano to a knee injury in the first quarter, rallied late in the second to make it 11-7 at the halfway point and a scoreless third quarter ensured it was all to play for in the final 15 minutes.
A game largely dominated by defence broke open, both sides adding two touchdowns apiece – the Jags’ from Etienne, while Allen and Gabe Davis added to Buffalo’s score.
Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who collected from Allen for Buffalo’s second-quarter, 15-yard touchdown, refused to blame the cross-continental trip for the result.
He said: “It’s easy to say that after the game. If we’d won would we be saying yeah, we were tired, we were this, we were that.
“It’s easy to use that as an excuse. I’m not a big excuse guy so I won’t say it, but you’re going to have to ask the other guys.
“Tired or not, you’re going to have to get up to play a football game. You get up to do this thing that you love and play this game because it’s a blessing.
“I will never use the excuse of, you can obviously look at the data or whatever, but I feel like we can play better. We will be better.”
Rees-Zammit relishing Mahomes advice as former rugby star eyes spot on Chiefs roster
Louis Rees-Zammit has likened Patrick Mahomes to an extra coach as he looks to make an impact in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rees-Zammit shocked rugby union fans in January when he announced he was turning his back on the sport to enter the NFL's International Player Pathway programme.
He was signed by two-time defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City in March and is now looking to earn a place on their roster for 2024, learning the role of running back at the Chiefs' rookie minicamp after attending another training camp alongside Mahomes.
Rees-Zammit has made sure to pick the brains of Mahomes, who has led the Chiefs to six straight AFC Championship games and won three Super Bowl rings since being drafted in 2017.
"It was amazing, all the quarterbacks and receivers were there, we were running routes, we were working in the gym", Rees-Zammit said of his experience at that camp in Texas.
"It was a great two weeks, I definitely learned a lot with Pat and the other boys."
Asked if Mahomes was acting like an extra coach, he said: "100 per cent.
"I'm new to the game so I'm trying to pick everyone's brains and try and pick up the sport as quick as possible because I want to be out there playing.
"The way I can do that is picking the brains of everyone that's currently here and trying to learn the game as quickly as possible."
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has been impressed by Rees-Zammit's attitude, saying: "He's so diligent with everything and wants to be so good at everything. I appreciate that.
"I like the fact he's got shorter steps initially, that's a good thing as a running back. If you're a long strider in there you've got to really work on making it through those tight adjustments you have to make. He seems to have a nice feel."
Beckham Jr. signs one-year deal with Miami Dolphins
Odell Beckham Jr. has agreed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins as the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver prepares for a spell with a fifth different NFL side.
Beckham will bolster an impressive Miami offense as he unites with fellow receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
That move will be welcomed by Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after Beckham signed a contract worth up to $8.25million, according to widespread reports.
Since enjoying four years at the New York Giants, Beckham has fleeted between three rosters – the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens – in as many years but appeared in just 28 games.
His arrival will add further fuel to Miami's NFL charge, having threatened Super Bowl potential before an injury-hit Dolphins were eliminated last season by the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.
Beckham is no stranger to disappointment against the Chiefs, however, after playing a part in the Ravens team that went 13-4 before losing to Kansas City last year.
The 31-year-old, who was impacted by an ankle injury in 2023, produced 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns last campaign before being released by the Ravens earlier this offseason.
Miami will hope Beckham can find his previous consistency, too, after struggling and posting eight games with two or fewer catches in the regular season for Baltimore.
Managing just four grabs for 34 yards combined in the Ravens' two postseason games, Beckham – a Super Bowl champion in 2021 with the Rams – may wish for better fortunes with the Dolphins.
Whether Beckham can rediscover his old form or not, the veteran wideout is en route to Miami as the latest addition to Mike McDaniel's fearsome Dolphins attack.
Travis Kelce never considered holding out on Chiefs extension
Travis Kelce says he never considered holding out on signing a contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs in order to secure a better deal.
Earlier this week, Kelce agreed a two-year, $34.25million extension with the Chiefs, who have made him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL.
Kelce has played a key role in helping the Chiefs reach six straight AFC Championship games, winning the last two en route to claiming back-to-back Super Bowl crowns.
As a result of his public relationship with American pop icon Taylor Swift, he has also emerged as perhaps the most high-profile player in the league during the last year.
Kelce was already under contract in Kansas City through 2025, so his new deal will keep him at Arrowhead Stadium through 2027.
Speaking on his 'New Heights' podcast alongside brother Jason Kelce, he said he never considered threatening a contract holdout to bump up his salary.
"I'm not a guy that sits out," Kelce said. "I'm not a guy that holds out. I'm a guy that loves coming into the building, and the Chiefs know that.
"So, for them to want to get this done for me, knowing how much blood, sweat and tears that I put into this thing, I'm extremely grateful.
"I'm so excited and so thankful to this organization for getting it done, for making me feel appreciated and compensated the right way, and I've got to move the needle for the tight end room."
Kelce, who was taken by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2013 draft, is Kansas City's all-time leader in receiving yards with 11,328 yards, while ranking second in receptions (907) and second in receiving touchdowns (74).
He is just 10 catches away from passing Tony Gonzalez as the franchise's all-time leader in receptions and three TD catches away from surpassing Gonzalez's record in that category.
He is not the only player to commit his long-term future to the Chiefs recently, with defensive tackle Chris Jones penning a bumper new deal in March and quarterback Patrick Mahomes getting a pay rise last Autumn.
Kelce believes that bodes well for the future, adding: "We got the nucleus together and paid, baby. Everybody got paid this offseason. I love it."
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