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T
he New York Giants may be headed back overseas this season.
When the NFL releases its 2022 International Series games next month, Tom Rock of Newsday reports that it’s “likely” the Giants will play either the Green Bay Packers or Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
According to Rock, the Giants are considered a “very desirable” team for this year’s International Series. The Packers and Jaguars are both slated to play “home” games in London in 2022, and the Giants will play each of them on the road this season.
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The Giants have played in the NFL’s International Series twice, including the league’s first regular-season game ever outside of the United States. That game was held in October of 2007 at Wembley Stadium, and the Giants beat the Miami Dolphins in that matchup by a final score of 13-10.
The Giants returned to London in 2016, when they faced the Los Angeles Rams at Twickenham Stadium. That game was a defensive battle as well, with the Giants coming out on top in a 17-10 tussle.
While most NFL teams dread long-distance travel, the International Series has actually been good to the Giants. Not only are they 2-0 in games played outside the U.S., but they also made the playoffs each time they made such a trip. In 2007, they made it all the way to Super Bowl XLII and took down the undefeated New England Patriots. And in 2016, they made the playoffs as a Wild Card team with an 11-5 record in the regular season.
The 2016 season was the last time the Giants made the playoffs (or even posted a winning record), so maybe this year’s potential trip to London can shake them from their current slump.
Eli Manning Scored The First International TD in NFL History
Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning only scored seven rushing touchdowns in his 16-year NFL career, but one of them was a 10-yard rush in London in 2007. This play also happened to be the first international touchdown in NFL history.
Manning only completed eight of his 22 pass attempts for 59 yards in this game, but the defense and running game was strong enough to pull out the victory. Running back Brandon Jacobs had a banner day on the ground, finishing with 131 yards on 23 rushing attempts.
When the Giants returned to London in 2016, Manning had to do a little more through the air. He went 24-for-37 with 196 yards in that game, but ultimately it was the defense that sealed victory for Big Blue. The play of the game was a 44-yard interception-return touchdown by safety Landon Collins.
Years later, I still don’t know how Collins made it the final five yards into the end zone when I watch this highlight.
NFL to Expand International Series Into New Countries
The NFL International Series was put on pause in 2020 due to COVID-19, but it returned in 2021 with two games held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season. There will be three games in London this season, with the Packers, Jaguars and New Orleans Saints serving as the designated home teams.
There will also be two other games played outside the United States this season. The Arizona Cardinals will play a game in Mexico City, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play a game in Munich, Germany. The NFL has held a handful of games in Mexico City since 2016, but the Germany game will be a new country for the league to conquer.
The NFL also introduced International Home Marketing Area Teams and Markets in December of 2021, opening the door for future exploration into games in countries like Spain, Australia, Brazil and China.
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