The Jacksonville Jaguars head back to London on Sunday, with the Eagles coming along for the ride in the first game of the NFL slate. Jacksonville enters at 3-1 and has the look of a team that’s found its footing fast, while Philadelphia arrives at 2-2 after a week that brought more questions than answers.
The Jaguars have stacked up statement wins over the Patriots and Bengals, and Trevor Lawrence has been right in the middle of it. Jacksonville’s defense has done plenty of heavy lifting too, allowing the second-fewest points in the NFL so far. That combination has the Jaguars sitting in a far better spot than the Eagles, who are trying to absorb a string of blows on and off the field.
Philadelphia’s offensive line is the most obvious place where the changes are showing up. Rookie Markel Bell is set to step in at right tackle for the retired Lane Johnson, and Drew Kendall - if healthy - is in line to replace Cam Jurgens at center.
Bell, a third-round pick in April’s draft, made his first career start in last week’s loss to the Rams and held up reasonably well in the circumstances. He gave up six pressures and posted an 18.8% pressure rate per drop-back, but he was better in the run game as the Eagles managed 104 rushing yards even with Saquon Barkley missing most of the contest with an injury.
Kendall, a 2025 fifth-round pick, has already made four career starts, three of them this season. His play was part of what gave the Eagles enough confidence to move Jurgens.
The injury picture for Philadelphia is just as messy. The Eagles have 12 players on this week’s report, including Kendall (knee), Barkley (hamstring), and receivers DeVonta Smith (hamstring), Marquise Brown (ankle) and Dontayvion Wicks (hamstring). That long list of issues is a big reason Philadelphia is a sizable underdog in London.
The bigger concern, though, is the state of the team itself. The Eagles have dropped two straight and look like a club fighting to stop the slide.
Their problems have shown up everywhere: they’re 26th in scoring and 17th in points allowed. Jalen Hurts has been at the center of the offensive frustration, with instability up front, Barkley’s injuries, a second straight year with a new offensive coordinator, and AJ Brown’s absence after he was traded to New England all feeding into the struggles.
Rookie first-round pick Makai Lemon has 10 catches for 65 yards.
Jacksonville, meanwhile, has responded well after its Week 3 loss in Denver. The Jaguars followed that setback with a blowout of the Patriots and then a five-point win in Cincinnati.
They’ve been especially sharp in the key moments: the offense ranks third in both third-down and red-zone efficiency, while the defense is fifth on third down and second in the red zone. Foyesade Oluokun has been all over the field with 24 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble.
That’s why the matchup feels so lopsided on paper. It’s difficult to picture the Eagles dropping to 2-3, given the talent on the roster.
It’s even harder to see them beating Jacksonville unless the Jaguars help them out with turnovers or other mistakes. Eagles veteran defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will try to make life difficult for Lawrence by taking away the run and squeezing the receivers, but if Lawrence handles the pressure, Jacksonville should leave London at 4-1.
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Marvin Harrison Jr. Just Got A Telling Place In Trade Chatter
Trade chatter has started to swirl around a familiar cluster of young receivers, and it now includes Marvin Harrison Jr., Brian Thomas Jr. and Jerry Jeudy as the deadline approaches. An assistant general manager even floated the possibility that Thomas and Jeudy could be moved before the NFLs Nov. 10 deadline, which is the kind of speculation that quickly turns into league-wide conversation when teams start looking for help at wide receiver.
For Jaguars fans, the Brian Thomas Jr. angle is the one worth monitoring most closely, because his name is suddenly being discussed in the same breath as some of the more prominent trade possibilities on the board. A number of teams, including the Colts, 49ers, Chiefs, Raiders, Bills and Texans, have been mentioned as possible receiver destinations, and once that many clubs enter the discussion, the noise tends to linger until the deadline itself sorts out which rumors were real and which were just early-season leverage plays. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Catch Eagles Amid Sudden QB Uncertainty Before Sunday
The week before a road game can change quickly in the NFL, and Jacksonville suddenly finds itself facing a different-looking Eagles depth chart than the one it expected. Philadelphia released veteran quarterback Andy Dalton ahead of Sundays matchup, leaving Tanner McKee and Cole Payton as the backups behind Jalen Hurts while the Jaguars get ready for a team already dealing with more than one roster shakeup.
For Jacksonville, the timing adds another layer to a matchup that was already drawing attention because of Philadelphias recent moves. The Eagles also sent center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens and ruled Saquon Barkley out for Week 5 with an injury, creating more uncertainty around a roster that is still trying to settle in. The Jaguars wont be able to do much about the Eagles personnel decisions, but they now have a clearer sense that Sunday could look different than it did even a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars London Game Just Added A Halftime Spotlight Fans May Not Expect
The Jaguars trip to London already carries plenty of attention, and the halftime stage at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is adding another layer. Ayra Starr, the Beninese-Nigerian singer and songwriter, is slated to perform when Jacksonville meets the Eagles, giving the game a spotlight that stretches well beyond the field and into the citys music scene.
Starr arrives with a growing profile of her own, including two Grammy nominations and a third studio album, Starrgirl. The NFL has been emphasizing her as a generational talent with ties to both the London market and African music, a fitting fit for one of the leagues international showcases and a reminder that these overseas games are built to reach far past the usual football audience. [Read more 🡒]