The NFL has been banging on our doors, making a push to enter the British sports market and selling out Wembley.

It’s getting hard to just keep sipping on our tea and ignore. The time has come, as they say, to drink the Kool-Aid.

There are two things that will generally turn the curious observer into a fan: wins and big plays.

By ‘big plays’, we refer to rushing or passing plays of more than 20 yards - these change the course of games and are the American equivalents of a series of Gareth Bale’s dribbles or of a Steven Gerrard screamer.

Rushing and passing are the two main type of plays for teams on offence.

Cam Newton's Carolina Panthers lost their season opener at Denver

During a rushing attempt, the quarterback will hand the ball to a running back who will try to run it through the defence.

On a passing attempt, the quarterback will hold on the ball while his receivers try to elude the defenders and get open so that the quarterback can throw a forward pass in their direction without the defence intercepting it.

Big plays and wins don’t necessarily go together as they are sometime the results of a losing team trying to turn desperation into success by trying a long play with an higher-risk for a higher reward.

his is part of why despite completing the second, seventh and tied-eighth most big plays last season, the New Orleans Saint, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins were excluded from these rankings.

Here is however a list of teams that should deliver the wins and excitement needed on a weekly basis to capture the foggiest of british hearts.

1. Arizona Cardinals

Carson Palmer, quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals

2015 Results : Super Bowl semi-finals

The Cards had the tied-second most big plays in 2015 with 78 en route to a Super Bowl semi-final. The passing game in particular was a stand out completing the third most passes 20 yards of further down field with 66.

None of their receivers ended in the top ten for big plays at the position, but with Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, John Brown and a good pass-catching running back in David Johnson, quarterback Carson Palmer as plenty of weapons at his disposal to carve opposing defences open.

Expect this team to go far.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger

2015 Results : Super Bowl quarter-finals

The Steelers had the fifth most big plays last season with 76 reaching the Super Bowl quarter-finals. Receiver Antonio Brown was a highlight-reel in 2015 catching 25 big plays the second most at the position.

The Steel City also counts on running back Le’Veon Bell who despite injuries made 8 big plays in the running game, the seventh most in the league. Bell did so in only 113 attempts, no one else above him had less than 229.

Quarterback ‘Big Ben’ Roethlisberger certainly as the offence and the nickname to convince some british fans to pay attention. Although the nickname mostly comes from his size (6’5, 240lb), the two time Super Bowl champion also knows how to manage the game ‘clock’ when it matters most.

3. Seattle Seahawks

Seaatle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch

2015 Results : Super Bowl quarter-finals

Although people often focus on the west coast team’s defence, it would be a mistake to underestimate what they can do when they control the ball - completing the sixth most big plays last season with 72. Thomas Rawls stepped in when star player Marshawn Lynch couldn’t play and performed admirably with seven big plays in the running game - tied for 8th best in the league.

In the passing game the Seahawks will count on super-reliable Doug Baldwin who caught the highest percentage of passes in 2015 of any receiver who was targeted at least 50 times. Potential breakout star Tyler Lockett caught six touchdowns last season, the most of any receiver who was targeted 85 times or less. Together they combined for 25 big plays last season.

4. Cincinnati Bengals

Dre Kirkpatrick of the Cincinnati Bengals breaks up a pass intended for the Jacksonville Jaguars' Marqise Lee

2015 Results : Playoffs first round

The Cincinnati offence completed the tenth most big plays last season with 68 helping them to a playoff appearance. Cinci did most of the damage in the air last season and their passing game completed the fourth most big plays with 63, star receiver AJ Green caught 19 of those.

You might be discourage by the fact Cinci lost 21 big plays this summer when receiver Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu signed with Detroit and Atlanta, However, dangerous tight-end Tyler Eiffert - who caught eight big plays and 13 touchdowns - is still here, and AJ Green was targeted 132 times in 2015. That is 60 times less than other star receivers like Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and DeAndre Hopkins. Cinci may have fewer weapons than it did a year ago, but there might just be more room for its best.

5. Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgersof the Green Bay Packers, one of the league's best quarterbacks

2015 Results : Super Bowl quarter-finals

Green Bay might have completed the tied-12th most big plays last season with 64, but there will be no surprise as to why they rank this high for those who remember strong-armed quarterback Aaron Rodgers two 61 and 41 yards touchdown-pass on the final play of games against Detroit and Arizona last season.

One of Rodgers favorite targets, Jordy Nelson, was injured last season and it made it a lot easier for defences to manage Green Bay’s passing game. Two years ago in 2014 the dual-threat of Nelson and Randall Cobb combined for 43 big plays, with both receiver breaking the top ten for big plays among receiver.

Supporting the small Great Lakes city would be like supporting Morecambe... if Morecambe was one of the most storied franchises in the Premier League’s history.

6. New England Patriots

The New England Patriots' Tom Brady has a four-game suspension at the start of the season

2015 Results : Super Bowl semi-finals

Once again there is little doubt that one of the most successful sport franchise of this century deserve this ranking even with the tied-14th most big plays last season with 63. With a 12-4 record last year they often led games and didn’t need to rely on game-clinching long plays to win games.

Still, tight-end Rob Gronkowski was fourth for the most big plays caught last year with 22, bested only by wide-receivers. The big man is also arguably the closest thing the NFL has to a (gentle) monster, overpowering the helpless coverage of defenders for 11 touchdowns last year. Just wait for star quarterback Tom Brady to come back from his four game ‘Deflategate’ suspension.

7. Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers

2015 Results : Super Bowl runners-up

The Panthers ranked for the tied-12th most big plays last year at 64 and there is no doubt that the show run by quarterback Cam Newton is worth watching. The quarterback was a dual-threat in the passing and running game. He completed 52 passes for 20 yards or more and added 3 big plays plus 10 touchdowns of his own in the running game.

Tight-end Greg Olsen caught 20 big plays last season, the sixth most in the league. This year the Panthers will also count on the return of Kelvin Benjamin, who was injured last year after catching 14 big plays in his first season in the league two years ago. Benjamin looks poised for a great season after catching a touchdown in the first game of the season last night, so this is a Panthers squad that should be as fun as last year’s.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jameis Winston hands the ball off to Mike James of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2015 Results : Missed Playoffs, 6-10 record in the regular season

We are now looking at a trio of teams that missed the playoffs last season to close this list. However, the Bucs posted the fourth most big plays last season with 77. The Florida-based team count on one of the best running back duos in the league, with Doug Martin - who made 14 big plays last season - the best at the position. Charles Sims added four, helping the team to a league leading 20 big plays in the running game.

Mike Evans had a disappointing season with only three touchdowns last season, but that’s forgetting the now third year receiver caught 21 big plays last season, the fifth best in the league. The exciting part is that many expect him to bounce back from what was actually a pretty good year. With the added chemistry a second season with Jameis Winston should bring, after the quarterback’s rookie season last year, the way forward for Evans and the Bucs should be up the standings.

9. New York Jets

Ryan Fitzpatrick of the New York Jets

2015 Results : Missed Playoffs, 10-6 record in the regular season

The Jets had a better record than Houston and Washington who clinched playoff spots by finishing first in weak divisions. They were also tied with Pittsburgh, Seattle and Green Bay who all went on to win in the playoffs first round. They missed-on the postseason because they lost to Buffalo in the final week and Pittsburgh had a better record against common opponents. They were almost there.

The team was also tied-eight for the most big plays last year with 69. Receiver Brandon Marshall was tied-seventh in the league with 19 big play receptions and formed one of the league’s most dangerous duos with Eric Decker. The two combined to catch 35 big plays for the Jets offence.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars

Quarterback Blake Bortles of the Jacksonville Jaguars

2015 Results : Missed Playoffs, 5-11 record in the regular season

That record from last season was not pretty, but the Jags still lead the league with 80 big plays last year. After years of looking for a quarterback it seems Jacksonville has its man in Blake Bortles who connected with Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns for 50 big plays last year. The receiving duo was the best in the league and Robinson the best at the position with 31 big play receptions, helping the team to a league leading 72 big plays in the passing game.

The Jags were a lot less effective in the running but brought in Chris Ivory this summer who had the tied-fourth most big plays in the running game with nine last season. There is still time to find first-class seats on a Jags bandwagon that might get crowded sooner than later. The Jags are also one of the two team on the list coming to London this year, with the other being the Bengals.