Falcons Will Face Detroit Lions in 2014 London Game

Dec 22, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) congratulates Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) after the game at Ford Field. Falcons won 31-18. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

About 2 weeks ago, news broke that the Atlanta Falcons would be traveling to London for a regular season game in 2014, and now, the NFL has announced who the team will meet when they arrive.

Calvin Johnson! Matthew Stafford!

A match-up with the Lions has no shortage of Atlanta connections, as the two most high-profile players for the team (with apologies to Ndamukong Suh) have ties to the two big universities in town with Johnson famously attending Georgia Tech and Stafford emerging as the #1 overall pick out of Georgia. That, along with the obvious location intrigue, should bring even more interest to the game from a local standpoint, and the fact that Detroit plays a high-flying offensive system should make it an entertaining watch for English patrons.

It should be noted that this is a “home” game for the Falcons, which automatically increases the degree of difficulty for next season, but there is certainly an argument to be made for it being an overall success. The Falcons aren’t exactly the Packers or Cowboys when it comes to national branding, and a trip abroad against another entertaining club could do wonders for marketing, etc.

The full schedule won’t emerge until after this season concludes, but when it does, it will be time to mark your calendar for a unique event in Falcons history.