London weather welcomes Bucs on arrival in England

LONDON — After an overnight flight across the Atlantic Ocean and a few hours of rest, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quickly got their welcome-to-London moment.

When they took the field for practice at the Blackheath rugby football club Friday afternoon, they dealt with typical English weather rather than what they’re used to back home in Florida.

The wind was howling, the sky was overcast and the temperatures were quite cool, providing a perfect English experience for the American visitors. Coach Bruce Arians said the wind was sending the ball two or three yards in different directions on passes at times.

“It was fun to play in a different atmosphere,” quarterback Jameis Winston said. “A lot of us said it’s kind of chilly with the wind. In Tampa it’s a hot breeze. There are no cold breezes there.”

The Bucs held their only practice in London before Sunday’s game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against the Carolina Panthers. They left home Thursday and took the overnight flight to England, forcing players to acclimate to a new time zone.

Receiver Chris Godwin said the practice was a little different than a normal one as players tried to get their legs back after spending so many hours on a plane. But he expects everyone to be back to normal by game time Sunday.

“You kind of have to,” he said. “Once you step on the field, it’s football. All this extra stuff on the outside is cool, but once the whistle starts blowing, it’s time to play.”

Carolina arrived a day earlier for the game than the Bucs, following a schedule Seattle used successfully on the way to beating the Raiders. The Panthers spent Thursday doing a walkthrough and then helping out at an NFL-sponsored flag football event for local kids.