Patriots, NFL Still Have Long Way to Go to Catch On Overseas

After glancing through the Web sites of London's newspapers, it's abundantly clear that the overseas media didn't particularly take to Sunday's game between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium.

There's no fault in that, however. The NFL moonlights in London once a year, creates a buzz for a week and leaves nary an impact after the circus leaves town. We'll hear the talk about more overseas games, expansion and Super Bowls, and if that is in the league's business plan, fans both American and European will just have to keep on following that song and dance until it ends (read: stops turning profits).

Give credit to Wembley and the fans for providing a passionate environment in an historic venue. Give credit to the league and the teams for putting on a show (actually, the Bucs put up less of a fight than the Somali pirates, who are ashamed to share synonymous names with Tampa Bay's mascot). Give credit to the hype, if not the fallout.

London's papers were more concerned with Liverpool's victory against Manchester United, David Beckham's "near deal" with AC Milan and the assault trial of Wigan Athletic's striker, who allegedly punched a 20-year-old woman in the face after shouting, "I'm a millionaire." Sounds like Sox-Yanks, a Mark Teixeira pursuit and another day in the life of Carl Everett, huh?

Point is, the NFL can't force its product -- however complete, amazing and well-run it happens to be -- upon a market that is into its own things. It's a good bet that most Boston sports fans understand the rivalry between Manchester United and Arsenal, but even if that game were played at Gillette Stadium, those fans would forget about it the very second news leaks of Jason Bay's latest contract negotiations.

By all accounts, Tom Brady's jersey overtook Wembley during Sunday's game -- or "match," as most London papers called it -- but a pregame segment on NFL Network showed a few fans in London who didn't know Brady from a hole in the wall. Again, I don't blame them. I know Steven Gerrard's name, but the Liverpool star could strike a soccer ball through my living room window right now, and I wouldn't know the difference between him and my landlord.

There are a couple of good columns worth reading -- here and here -- that detail some perspective from across the pond. (I apologize, but this is my last day to use clichés that describe the Atlantic Ocean.)

Just don't peel through those sports pages looking for much else. Unless, of course, soccer is your thing, because they've got plenty of that.

Who's Hot
1. Safety Brandon Meriweather intercepted passes on each of Tampa Bay's first two possessions, running the first pick back to the end zone to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead. The third-year safety has improved his ball-hawking skills this season, and they finally paid off statistically on Sunday. Meriweather has successfully joined linebacker Jerod Mayo and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork as one of the three most important members of New England's defense.

2. Wide receiver Wes Welker caught all 10 passes thrown in his direction, and he had 107 receiving yards and one touchdown Sunday. The Patriots offense performs at a different level when Welker is on the field.

3. Forget the statistics -- including the two interceptions -- quarterback Tom Brady is delivering the ball with as much confidence as he has shown all season. Even when the offensive line broke down Sunday, Brady was precise with his footwork, and he delivered the ball with power and accuracy. He is really getting his feet under him to drive the ball toward his targets, and that will have to continue Nov. 8 against the Dolphins, who will likely attack the quarterback harder than any team other than the Jets.

Who's Not
1. Left guard Logan Mankins has often been the Patriots' most consistent offensive lineman, but he had a miserable day in London. Mankins was flagged four times -- three false starts and once for holding -- and the Patriots were unable to get first downs after his first three penalties.

2. Left tackle Sebastian Vollmer had a reality check Sunday, as most rookies do during their second full game. Vollmer started the game well and provided two key blocks during Welker's touchdown, but he hit a rough patch midway through the contest. He might have gotten hurt late in the first quarter while the Patriots were running their two-minute offense, and he was beaten for a sack on the ensuing play. Vollmer was then called for holding twice during the Patriots' next possession, which was also the first drive of the third quarter. The giant German has done far more good things than bad, and it's a good thing for his development that he suffered these mistakes during a blowout victory rather than in a close defeat.

3. Rookie defensive lineman Ron Brace has fallen to the bottom of the depth chart, and he has been a healthy scratch in four consecutive games. The second-round draft pick played well in a limited role in the first two games of the season, but he didn't see any action in Week 3 against the Falcons before being left off the active list in each of the last four games. Credit the players in front of him for their strong play, but Brace's rookie season is off to a slow start.

Help Tackle Cancer
The Joe Andruzzi Foundation is hosting its second annual "New England Celebrities Tackle Cancer" event next Monday at Christina's in Foxborough. Andruzzi, a former member of the Patriots, is a cancer survivor who has actively given back to help out a cause that is so prevalent in his life. A number of local athletes and celebrities will be on hand, including Tom Brady, Ray Bourque, Luis Tiant and a good chunk of the current Patriots roster. Tickets are $125, and you can find more information here.

To learn more about Andruzzi's courageous battle, read NESN.com's August story.

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