Matt Ryan stepped into Harry Kane’s house, well aware of how the England captain feels.
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback has been a one-club man for 14 seasons since Atlanta signed him in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft.
He has come close to being crowned champion, falling agonisingly short in the Super Bowl five years ago at the hands of Tom Brady.
And just last week he had to deny reports that he is seeking a way out of Georgia for a team with better prospects. At 36, he has limited time to win the big one.
He was certainly under the microscope at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on a day when Marisha Wallace hit the high notes from the highest point of the stadium, belting out the American anthem from the rooftop walkway.
She outdid Katherine Jenkins for drama after her immaculate God Save The Queen was sung some 155 feet below.
Both teams had had a poor start to the season, winning just once each in the first four games, and showed why in an error-strewn game, not that that dampened the spirits of a 60,589 crowd.
At least Ryan appeared to take inspiration from Wallace’s high-wire act because he meant business from the start, throwing two touchdowns to put Atlanta ahead 20-3 at half time and in control against the struggling Jets.
As the teams went in at the break, Aitch took over proceedings. No, not Harry Kane but rapper Aitch, hailing from Manchester, where Kane had hoped to be playing by now.
Ryan emerged for the second half, doubtless remembering his last London trip, in 2014, when Atlanta led Detroit 21-0 at half time at Wembley only to lose 22-21.
But instead of falling down again, Ryan employed the club motto to ‘Rise Up’, something Kane will be hoping Tottenham do after an indifferent start to another season in north London. Ryan helped steer Atlanta home despite a late New York comeback.
Neither of these teams will expect to be at the Super Bowl in Los Angeles in February but at least Atlanta boarded the flight home in good spirits after raising their record to two wins and three defeats while dropping the Jets to 1-4.
For New York, it is back to the drawing board.
The most impressive jets in London were four US Air Force F-15 Eagle Strike fighter jets from RAF Lakenheath that buzzed the stadium before kick-off.
