Trends Favor The Rams Over The Patriots In London This Year

Whoever made the 2012 NFL schedule did no favors for the St. Louis Rams. In back-to-back weeks, the Rams have to play the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots, a pair of preseason Super Bowl favorites (unless Graham Harrell has to start at quarterback). A quirk of coincidence could be on the Rams' side when they head to London for the game against the Patriots.

The winner of the NFL International series games has alternated between the designated visitor and home team every year that the league has taken its product outside the U.S. border. That started in 2005 with a game in Mexico, skipped a year in 2006, before heading to the UK.

Last year, the "visiting" team, the Chicago Bears, won the game. If the trend holds, that puts the Rams on pace to put a nice little feather in their cap with a win at Wembley Stadium over the Patriots.

Stranger things have happened.