Oct 27, 2013; London, United Kingdom; General view of a NFL shield logo at the NFL International Series game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

On Thanksgiving morning, you don’t expect too much in the way of breaking news, but Falcons fans got some clarity on the previously announced 2014 game in London, England.

NFL announced the date for the Falcons-Lions matchup next season in London: Oct. 26, in Week 8. — vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) November 28, 2013

The timing for the game doesn’t particularly matter (at least until the final schedule is announced), but it certainly helps for fans that will be attempting to travel overseas for the game. More importantly for the team on the field is whether the team’s bye week will surround the game, but if it doesn’t, it poses logistical and rest issues for entire organization.

In the middle of what is a dismal season in terms of results, it is very nice to have something of this magnitude to look forward to for 2014, and something on the calendar that doesn’t involve the word “draft”. If you want to get an early scouting report on what you’ll see in London, the Lions are playing on Thanksgiving day (insert laughter here), but at the very least, it should be a highly entertaining match-up when the two teams get together.

Stay tuned for any additional updates as they arrive from the NFL.