NFL International Series: 5 Reasons Patriots vs. Rams in UK Will Be Big Success

The NFL's decision to pair the St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots together for the sixth instalment of the league's International Series in London, can be a huge success.

The prospect of seeing the lowly Rams take on the mighty Patriots might be met with derision in some quarters. But there are reasons to believe that this matchup can continue the league's tremendous success in the UK. It can reinvigorate a series that suffered a drop in interest when the Chicago Bears took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium last October.

Here are five reasons why the prospect of the Patriots and Rams locking horns in the UK should be met with excitement and will be a huge success for the NFL.

With Jeff Fisher in charge and Gregg Williams calling the defense, expect the Rams to show no fear and go after Tom Brady. Fisher and Williams are students and practitioners of the 46 defense, so there should be no shortage of blitzes to excite the crowd.

This author has never been totally convinced by Williams. But at least he can be relied upon to bring pressure no matter what. Fisher and Williams did not reign in their blitzes when the Tennessee Titans took on the St. Louis Rams and "the greatest show on turf," in Super Bowl 34.

So there is no reason to expect them to temper their gambling style, just because they are facing Brady and the prolific Patriots. Attacking the Patriots from various angles and with multiple rushers will make for an exciting spectacle and could produce the big plays the Rams will need to keep this game close.

Given their abysmal 2-14 record, the Rams hold the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NFL draft. That means they are primed to select one of the top college talents in the country.

The chance to see whichever potential-filled, high-profile youngster the Rams select to turn the franchise around, will draw plenty of interest for the Wembley game amongst NFL fans.

Many of the latest mock drafts have the Rams taking dynamic Oklahoma State flanker Justin Blackmon. Their position on the draft board means that the Rams will also have a shot at other highly touted talents such as LSU corner Morris Claiborne or dominant USC lineman Matt Kalil.

If the Rams selection receives enough hype, that player be one of the major talking points surrounding the team's first visit to London.

Despite the expected gulf in class between the two teams, there is still plenty of star power on display in this matchup. A potential duel between ice cool veteran Tom Brady and precocious upstart Sam Bradford is an appealing prospect.

Added to this is an opportunity for UK fans to revel in the performance of the league's best running back Steven Jackson. The quick cutting and powerful runner has toiled for years in virtual anonymity thanks to the Rams consistent struggles.

Patriots enthusiasts can look forward to witnessing young phenom Ron Gronkowksi, who is fast becoming the NFL's most dangerous tight end. With Brady, Bradford, Gronkowski and Jackson on display, there are sure to be plenty of highlight reel worthy moments at Wembley.

There is a substantial community of New England Patriots followers in the UK, who are sure to contribute to a lively atmosphere when Bill Belichick's team makes their second visit to Wembley.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft referenced the group, known as the UKPatriots, shortly after the announcement for this game was made. This group formed part of a large contingent of Patriots fans when the team last made the trip to London in October, 2009.

This level of support and enthusiasm, makes bringing the Patriots back to Wembley a wise choice by the NFL and will ensure a large and raucous crowd are in attendance on October 28th.

Over the last decade, the NFL's UK fanbase has vastly increased. Television coverage of the NFL in the UK is more extensive and better than it has ever been.

NFLuk.com reports a 32 percent increase in the recognised fanbase and states that viewing figures for the regular season and Super Bowl have grown at an incredibly high rate since 2006.

These figures reveal an incredibly high rate of enthusiasm for the NFL in the UK. This bodes well for the league's commitment to host games in London and should ensure that attendances and interest for the International Series remain high.