there is a lot of confusion and debate among american commentators about whether or not NFL abroad is a good thing. Some think it is good to raise the profile of the game, others think it is a waste of time and resources, especially at this early stage of the season.
I don't think NFL will ever have an equivalent in the european countries like soccer does in the US. Soccer is played at underage level in the school systems over here but NFL will never be played in EU.
I personally think there is a huge market for the NFL in Ireland and the UK. The tickets sold out so quickly and rumors that there were 500,000 requests to the website for tickets would back that up. Its a great game when you understand it and give it a chance, but for me it is and always will be a sport we like to watch - not play.