The Eagles are walking into their London date with Jacksonville short-handed on offense and not exactly brimming with confidence, but there is at least one defensive trend that gives them a fighting chance.
Philadelphia will be without Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, and Drew Kendall this week. On the other side of the ball, though, there’s a lift: Quinyon Mitchell and Zack Baun are set to play.
Even with those reinforcements, the Eagles are still considered big underdogs against the Jaguars. But ESPN Research pointed to one area where Philadelphia has quietly excelled, and it might be the key to slowing down Trevor Lawrence and company.
“The Eagles have allowed the second-lowest QBR on deep passes (20-plus air yards) this season," ESPN Research shared. "Opponents have completed 27% of deep passes for zero touchdowns and two interceptions against Philly."
That matters against a Jacksonville passing game that can attack in a hurry with Lawrence throwing to Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers, and Parker Washington. If the Eagles can keep that part of the field under control, they give themselves a real shot to hang around.
The formula is simple enough: hold up against the run, where Bhayshul Tuten and the Jaguars’ backs will try to do damage, and force Jacksonville to work without the explosive plays that can flip a game fast.
Philadelphia’s offense still has plenty of issues to solve before it can be trusted to carry much weight in this matchup. But the defense has at least shown one strength that travels, and it showed up again in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams, when the Eagles stayed afloat by limiting big plays.
Cooper DeJean, Riq Woolen, and Mitchell will have their hands full with Jacksonville’s receivers, but if the Eagles keep taking away the deep ball the way they have so far, they can make this one uncomfortable deep into the fourth quarter.
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Eagles Loss Sparked A TV Moment Fans Are Still Arguing Over
The Jaguars walk-off win over the Eagles in London gave Jacksonville a showcase moment overseas, but one of the most talked-about parts of the game came after the final whistle. As the ESPN broadcast lingered on a young Eagles fan in tears during the closing seconds, the shot quickly spread across social media and turned into its own postgame debate, with some viewers taking issue with the camera work and others saying it was simply part of live sports coverage.
For Jacksonville fans, the game itself was the point, a dramatic finish capped by a field goal and a rare international win to celebrate. But the reaction to the broadcast has kept the aftermath in view, and ESPN has not commented on the incident, leaving the argument to play out online as the memory of the ending continues to hang around the game. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Suddenly Face A Trevor Lawrence Problem They Can't Ignore
Anton Harrisons exit in Week 5 quickly became one of the most important developments of the Jaguars day, because the left tackles injury carries obvious ripple effects for an offense built around Trevor Lawrence. Harrison was carted off the field and did not return, leaving Jacksonville waiting on MRI results while Liam Coen addressed both the uncertainty around the tackle and the way the team will handle the position if it has to move forward without him.
The Jaguars do have options if Harrison is sidelined, with Walker Little, Wyatt Milum, Daniel Faalele and Patrick Mekari all mentioned as possible depth answers at offensive tackle. Even so, this is the kind of injury that can test how much protection Lawrence really has up front, and it puts a premium on how quickly Jacksonville can settle the left side while the diagnosis plays out. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Snap Counts Hint At One Offensive Shift Fans Need To See
The Jaguars Week 5 snap counts offered a clearer look at how the offense is adapting to injuries, and the most notable change came in the backfield. Bhayshul Tuten logged a career-high workload and handled the most carries, a sign hes starting to settle in as the lead running back, while Chris Rodriguez Jr. saw his role shrink as the game plan leaned harder into Tutens burst and volume.
There were encouraging developments elsewhere, too, as rookie skill players Josh Cameron and Nate Boerkircher were both more involved and made the most of it in receiving yards and snaps. For an offense trying to piece together production on the fly, those growing roles matter, and they raise the obvious question of whether this usage is a short-term fix or the start of a more permanent shift. [Read more 🡒]