NFL London: Tennessee Titans boss happy with Wembley preparation despite pitch complaints

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel insists he is happy with his side’s preparation for Sunday’s NFL London game, despite several of his players criticising the state of their practice field.

The Titans meet the Los Angeles Chargers at Wembley this weekend, appearing in an International Series game for the very first time.

While the Chargers chose to practice at Saracens’ Allianz Park on Thursday, Vrabel’s men held their training session on a makeshift field at their base at Syon House, West London.

Safety Kevin Byard said the pitch reminded him of “high school training camp – playing on a field that has potholes, rocks and all types of stuff”, while cornerback Logan Ryan admitted the surface “wasn’t the best”.

Vrabel conceded he found the pitch “a little short” but defended the franchise’s decision to train at the historic site.

“The hotel is beautiful,” Vrabel said. “The staff have been courteous, they’ve got video games set up for the guys, a nice locker room, weight room, everything we could ask for.

“The choices are, ‘Do you want to bus 35 minutes down to a beautiful rugby facility or do you want to get some work done right here?’ It’s a fine line.”

The rookie head coach also dismissed the suggestion that the one-sided nature of many International Series games was to do with one team handling the logistical challenge better than the other.

The last five London games have seen the triumphant team run up a 157-26 winning margin, including last weekend, when the Seattle Seahawks beat the Oakland Raiders 27-3, having arrived in the UK a full 24 hours earlier.

“I think what actually happens is one team plays better than the other,” Vrabel said. “At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is what they do on the field on Sunday.

“Every time we go out there, I’m hopeful that we’ve done enough.”

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