A Definitive Guide to Watching the NFL for Premier League Fans

Image via Complex UK

The NFL is split into two conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Historically these were two different leagues that joined forces to create what is now the NFL.

Each of the two conferences is made up of four divisions of four teams, although teams from different conferences and divisions play each other throughout the 16 game 'regular season'. Once those 16 games are up the winners of the eight divisions, along with the best two runners-up from each conference, continue to the playoffs.

The playoffs sees the AFC teams battle it out in a knockout competition to crown their champion, the NFC does the same. It's these two teams, one representing the AFC and one the NFC, that then do battle in the season-ending Super Bowl. The winner has the honour of lifting the Vince Lombardi trophy and taking a visit to the White House.

Which teams are looking most likely to make the trip to the Super Bowl and win it all this year? Here are our five favourites with an indication as to the kind of betting odds you're likely receive on them lifting the trophy at the end of the season.

Seattle Seahawks (Odds: 7/2)

Last year's Super Bowl champions were always going to go into this season as favourites having managed to keep the brilliantly effective core of last year's team together. The Seahawks' strength is in their defensive qualities, the team conceding the fewest points in the NFL last year. Few have ever managed to win back-to-back Super Bowls, so pressure is on the Seahawks to buck the trend.

Denver Broncos (9/2)

Any team with Peyton Manning on it is destined to challenge for silverware, the quarterback setting a new NFL record last year for most touchdown passes in a single season. Unfortunately, the Broncos' defence is not as impressive as its attack - that very weakness exploited by the Seahawks in last year's Super Bowl.

San Francisco 49ers (11/1)

If the league was decided on pure talent alone then the 49ers would be even higher up this list. The problem with the San Francisco team is that they're unpredictable, their exciting attacking line-up not always living up to its neon billing. Despite that, there are simply too many excellent players here to not take their challenge seriously.

If you're new to the NFL, you're going to be lost in a typhoon of American hyperbole and soundbites that you've only ever heard on EA Sports' Madden franchise.

We've broken down the jargon.

Blitz: Instead of marking their usual opponents a large number of the defensive players will rush forwards and attempt to kill the quarterback before he can get rid of the ball. 'Get in there son!' and all that.

Hail Mary: A last gasp attempt at throwing the ball down the length of the field when you're losing and time is against you. The religious overtones here apt, teams will only attempt a Hail Mary when all they've left is a hope and a prayer.

Play Action Pass: In American football there are two types of attacking play: run and pass. When a team pretends to be attempting a run, but actually performs a pass, that's a 'play action pass'.

Horse Collar: While the idea of a horse being involved on the field in an NFL game is appealing, a 'horse collar' is decidedly less equine and overtly more vicious. Performing such a thing involves grabbing the collar of an opponent's jersey from behind and yanking him to the ground. It's considered a foul.

Red Zone: When you're within 20 yards of your opponent's goal line you're in their 'Red Zone'. In English football it's the kind of position that causes commentators to frantically regurgitate those predictable 'close down the space' lines.

To watch every NFL match available on TV in the UK you're going to need access to three channels…

Channel 4: Channel 4 shows just one game per week late night on Sunday nights, the action kicking off at 1.30am British time. Michael Carson, the show's US-born pundit, is the best American football analyst working on TV over here. Vernon Kaye sometimes shows up and is terrible.

Sky Sports: Showing one game late on Thursday nights and two games every Sunday, Sky Sports carries the most weekly games. Murdoch's baby also airs a number of other NFL related shows, including the excellent 'America's Game' documentary series that tells the stories of past Super Bowl winning teams.

Eurosport: It's the NFL that started the idea of Monday Night Football and you'll need Eurosport if you want to watch it over here. Sure, it's not the trendiest of channels but the Monday nights games (1.30am Tuesday mornings over here) usually feature the league's most exciting teams and that makes Eurosport worth its place in the TV guide.

NFL.com: Should you want to watch every NFL game going, either live or on-demand after the event, you'll need to sign up to NFL.com's Game Pass streaming service. It's not cheap, however. A season pass will set you back £74.99, while a single-team pass is £59.99. A 7-day free trial is available to everyone and is worth taking advantage of.

Beer and sports, the two go together like Cheech and Chong and sex and regret. So long as you're not planning on playing yourself, the pairing is great for all involved. Although if you're drinking alone you might want to question why before having too many…

So, which beer should you be drinking when certain teams are in action?

Team: New England Patriots

Beer: Samuel Adams

Brewed in Boston, the home town of the Patriots, Sam Adams is one of the most common American beers in the UK. The Boston Beer Company that brews it was only founded in 1984, making its substantial international success all the more impressive.

Team: San Francisco 49ers

Beer: Lagunitas IPA

Lagunitas is not based in San Francisco, but in Santa Rosa - an urban hub found to just to the north. Whatever the case, this IPA is too impressive to let a small geographical discrepancy get in the way of including it here. It's not the easiest beer to find, but you'll come across it frequently enough if you frequent London's hipster zones.

Team: New York Giants

Beer: Brooklyn Lager

Like Sam Adams, Brooklyn Lager is a recognisable face in the UK and you should have little trouble tracking it down in both bottle and draught form. As with most examples the latter is superior but taking a pint home with you to drink with the game might be pushing your luck a little far. Opt for the bottles.

Team: Denver Broncos

Beer: Blue Moon

White beers are often more novelty than credible, but Colorado's Blue Moon lives up to the lofty standards set by its Broncos NFL team. You often get a slice of orange and/or lemon in your glass when ordering it at a bar or pub and there's no reason you can't follow suit at home.

Don't know which NFL to align yourself with? Struggling to create that link between your favourite Premier League team and our cousins across the pond? We've got you covered.

You support: Chelsea

You should also support: Seattle Seahawks

Because: Defensive solidarity is priority for both.

You support: Manchester United

You should also support: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Because: They share the same owner.

You support: Arsenal

You should also support: St Louis Rams

Because: They share the same owner.

You support: Manchester City

You should also support: San Francisco 49ers

Because: On paper, the talent on these teams is ridiculous.

You support: Tottenham Hotspur

You should also support: Philadelphia Eagles

Because: So much promise, so little success.

You support: Newcastle United

You should also support: Dallas Cowboys

Because: Mike Ashley is as much of a joke as Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones.

You support: Liverpool

You should also support: Green Bay Packers

Because: Despite recent success, both teams are better known for past glories.

You support: Burnley

You should also support: Oakland Raiders

Because: Both are terrible.

Still can't decide which team to support and attach your emotions to? You could do worse than take a cue from your favourite celeb. The NFL is hardly struggling when it comes to famous fans…

Celeb: Jamie Foxx

Their team: Dallas Cowboys

It's fitting that one of Hollywood's slickest stars should support the Cowboys, a team so taken with the ideal of celebrity that they call themselves 'America's Team'. The title pisses off everyone else.

Celeb: Barack Obama

Their team: Chicago Bears

There was a time when it seemed no one on Earth was anywhere as popular as Obama. That's not so much the case now, but supporting the same team as him still brings a certain kudos.

Celeb: Peter Griffin

Their team: New England Patriots

Modern day celebs age and change, animated ones tend to remain constant. Support the Patriots and you'll have the Family Guy star as a companion for life.

Celeb: George Clooney

Their team: Cincinnati Bengals

It's nice that George has found success love in his life, it might ease the pain typically associated with being a diehard Bengals fan.

Celeb: Lil' Wayne

Their team: Green Bay Packers

Lil Tunechi outed himself as a “cheesehead” in 2011 on his track, 'Green and Yellow'.

Celeb: Nelly

Their team: St. Louis Rams

Being born in St. Louis, Nelly has little choice but to support the forever struggling Rams. Look hard enough and you can often see the diminutive rapper, questionable actor, along the team's sideline on match day.

Celeb: Trey Parker / Matt Stone

Their team: Denver Broncos

Trey and Matt can't help but fill episodes of South Park with as many Broncos references as they can get away with. Their frequent appearances in the genius show only adds to their appeal.

The time difference between the US and here means that NFL games tend to kick off later rather than earlier. That gives you plenty of time to fit in a movie beforehand.

Here are our top picks to get you in the mood to watch men in tights and armour do battle live:

Any Given Sunday

For better or worse, anything from director Oliver Stone tends to have a political edge. Any Given Sunday is no different, the story revolving around an increasing friction between a team's head coach, owner and certain players. The quality of the cast (Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, Dennis Quaid), combined with the talent of the director, makes it one of the best sports movies ever made.

Remember the Titans

Guys don't cry at movies, right? Watch Remember the Titans and ask yourself that question again. Don't worry, though, it's sports. So it's okay. Denzel Washington's performance is just one of the many reasons to watch this emotional classic.

Gridiron Gang

In the mood for something more upfront and fun? You could do worse than Gridiron Gang. The plot revolves around The Rock trying to improve the lives of young criminals by having them learn teamwork though playing American football. Excellent Sunday afternoon entertainment.

Friday Night Lights

Based on the book of the same name, Friday Night Lights tells the story of a small town high school team from Texas. Billy-Bob Thornton plays the coach and is predictably first-rate. The TV show that's (very) loosely based on this movie is also worth checking out.

The Waterboy

For when stories of self-improvement, political friction and high school prodigies are too much you can always rely on Adam Sandler to lighten/lower the tone. No, it's not the best American football movie ever made but it is good as a slice of causal fun before the serious NFL action starts later in the day.