With the NFL preseason done and dusted, we are merely two days away from the season opener between the defending champion Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers. We are also four weeks away from the first major event in the NFL calendar (at least for fans in the UK) - the opening installment of the NFL International Series at Wembley Stadium. In four weeks fans from around the UK and Europe will descend upon North London for fan rallies, awkward touchdown celebration contests in the car park outside the stadium, overpriced Wembley food the first of three matchups between teams with sizeable support on this side of the pond.
This is the first time that three games have been held at Wembley in the same season, and - unlike in previous years - all of the fixtures figure to be competitive. As someone who has been to all of the International Series games so far, the 37-32 showdown between the Chargers and Saints (decided on the last play of the game) still trumps any of the landslide beatings handed out by the Patriots and 49ers in the following years.
Let's take a look at the state of every Wembley team as they head into the 2014 NFL season, starting off with the first two teams to cross the pond: the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins.
Oakland Raiders
A team stuck in a permanent state of rebuilding, the Oakland Raiders have enjoyed yet another tumultuous offseason with major personnel changes. Consistency thankfully remains at head coach, with Dennis Allen returning for a third crack at delivering the Raiders' first winning season in 12 years.
The team made significant moves in free agency and the draft, with mixed success. Obviously the regular season will determine the effectiveness of their personnel changes, but the Raiders - who were $66 million under the salary cap - said goodbye to three of the best available free agents in the league this year (defensive end Lamarr Houston, offensive tackle Jared Veldheer and running back Rashad Jennings), and replaced them with older short-term solutions. However, many of their free agent acquisitions should be starters this season, and cornerback Tarell Brown could finally emerge as one of the best in the league at his position. As far as free agency strategies go, 'finding immediate starters' isn't necessarily a bad one.
In the draft the Raiders complemented the signing of Matt Schaub with Derek Carr, providing two of the best quarterback options the team has enjoyed in years. They drafted highly-touted linebacker Khalil Mack and offensive lineman Gabe Jackson, and both men have the potential to become long-term starters.
Rookie quarterback Derek Carr has been handed the reins after a stellar preseason, but you can expect the Raiders offense to be built around Darren McFadden, Maurice Jones-Drew, Marcel Reece and a big, powerful offensive line. A power run game takes the pressure away from the quarterback position and the presence of Jones-Drew favourably lessens the workload of the injury-prone McFadden. Defensive coordinator Jason Tarver possesses a brilliant footballing mind, but has rarely had the personnel needed to execute his complicated scheme. Not so in 2014. Mark Davis brought in a lot of experienced, savvy defensive players (Justin Tuck, Lamar Woodley, Carlos Rogers, Tarell Brown) to join the existing core of underrated defensive tackle Pat Sims, linebacker Sio Moore and safety Charles Woodson. If Mack becomes the top-level pass rusher many predict he can be, the Raiders defence could turn heads this season.
No one is expecting the Raiders to challenge the Broncos for the division crown, and don't forget they still play in a division with three playoff-calibre teams, but 2014 figures to be a season where the Raiders take a huge stride forward. There can be no more excuses.
Oh, and the Raiders possess one of two British players to be playing at Wembley - offensive lineman Menelik Watson.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are another team that always seems to be in a state of disarray. While things haven't been quite as bleak for Miami as they have for the Raiders (they were the AFC East division champions in 2008, after all), they have struggled mightily in recent seasons and were shaken to the core last year by one of the uglier sports scandals in recent memory.
Bizarrely, the now infamous 'bullygate' (every scandal must now have 'gate' as a suffix) farce, and the furore it created, stands as evidence for the Dolphins' strength heading into 2014. Was it even that much of a distraction in the first place? The Dolphins were 3-4 prior to the incident and 5-2 afterwards. Head coach Joe Philbin held a locker room together that could have easily imploded and finished at the bottom of the barrel, instead he remains at the helm of a team stronger as a result of their experiences.
On the field, the team lives and dies by the arm of Ryan Tannehill. True of a lot of NFL teams, but the third-year pro is under immense pressure to deliver in this pivotal season. He may not receive the fanfare of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, but Tannehill has quietly developed at a slow-but-steady pace. Solid in his first year, good in his second and poised for a breakout in his third.
Bill Lazor's Chip Kelly-inspired scheme suits his strengths (a lack of deep passes) and should eleviate the pressure on last season's most-sacked quarterback. The presence of free agent Branden Albert and rookie Ja'Waun James should shore up the offensive line at the tackle position, and newly-added running back Knowshon Moreno and second-round wide receiver Jarvis Landry have been brought in to give Tannehill extra weapons on top of Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline and the unheralded Charles Clay.
The Dolphins have an underrated defensive unit, but critically lost two of their strongest defensive players in defensive tackle Paul Soliai and cornerback Nolan Carroll. In an ideal world the Dolphins would have retained both, but the unit still possesses a lot of talent. Cameron Wake, Olivier Vernon, Randy Starks, Jared Odrick and the athletic, but unpredictable, Dion Jordan are a formidable defensive line group, and the switch of linebackers Koa Misi and Dannell Ellerbe into more familiar positions should strengthen the linebacker corps.
The defense has been a playoff-calibre unit for a number of years - finishing in the top eight in points allowed over the past three seasons - but the offense need to take the next step if the team are to move forward and challenge the chokehold the New England Patriots have on the division. Much like the Raiders, they suffer from being in a division dominated by a legitimate Super Bowl contender, but second place is very much up for grabs. You can expect an improvement on their 8-8 record last year and the abysmal showing they put forth in their first appearance at Wembley in 2007.
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