Goodness gracious, it’s been a wild week for the Philadelphia Eagles.
They head into Week 5 sitting on two losses, and the hit to the offensive line has only made the picture messier. Lane Johnson retired, Cam Jurgens suffered a concussion, and then came the trade to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-rounder, with the Eagles also sending a seventh in April to finish the deal.
That has kicked off the kind of debate that will hang around for months: are the Eagles rebuilding, as Dan Orlovsky suggested, because they can no longer afford to keep stacking deals for a Super Bowl-caliber roster? Or was this just too good a return to pass up for the second-worst-ranked guard in the NFL through four weeks, according to Pro Football Focus, especially after Joey Porter Jr. brought back a similar package from the Dallas Cowboys a week earlier?
Whatever the answer turns out to be, the immediate reality is simpler. On Friday, the Eagles head to England to face a hot Jacksonville Jaguars team at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They were already underdogs before losing two Pro Bowl-caliber linemen, and the early kickoff only makes the challenge feel steeper for a fan base on the West Coast.
A lot of attention is going to land on Willie Lampkin. Even before Jurgens left, one of the biggest Week 5 storylines was how Lampkin would handle his first real NFL action.
At 5-foot-11(ish) and 290 pounds, he is one of the smallest offensive linemen to appear in an NFL game this century, but he brings real technique, especially as a run blocker. He can move bodies in space like a much bigger player and has the kind of pop that can spring lanes for runners.
So far, his strongest cameo was a limited role in Week 4, when he pulled like a fullback on a doomed goal-line play. He still hasn’t logged a meaningful snap at guard in a game that counted until Sunday.
Could Lampkin turn into an immediate difference-maker and give the Eagles a Jason Kelce-type jolt? That’s the dream scenario some fans will be watching for on every snap. Realistically, though, the most likely outcome sits somewhere in the middle.
And in this case, middle may be good enough. Offensive linemen usually only get noticed by the general public when things go dramatically right or dramatically wrong.
The Jaguars’ defense is tough to pin down, ranking second in rushing yards allowed and points allowed, but 25th in yards and 31st in passing yards allowed. Even so, they’ve only produced nine sacks through four weeks, which makes the odds of Lampkin getting overwhelmed in pass protection look fairly slim.
It also means the Eagles offense probably isn’t about to magically fix itself in one week under these circumstances. After watching Jurgens struggle badly at left guard, steady would be a step up.
Trevor Lawrence is another major piece of the story. Entering the 2026 season, he was being talked about as a real MVP candidate after a strong rebound from a down 2024 campaign in his fifth year.
Jacksonville had loaded up around him, and he looked ready to climb even higher after becoming one of the NFL’s better comeback stories of 2025. But through four weeks, the production has not matched the wins.
Lawrence has topped 200 passing yards only twice, and his season high remains 245 yards and four touchdowns against the Cleveland Brown in Week 1. That was the peak so far, even with Liam Coen calling plays and a growing cast of talent around him.
This week gives Lawrence a chance to push that number higher, because Philadelphia’s secondary has shown cracks when it has run into quality quarterback play. The Eagles brought back most of their defensive starters from 2025 and added players like Jonathan Greenard and Riq Woolen, but through four weeks they still sit as a bottom-16 defense across the board. They’ve allowed the 15th-most passing yards, the ninth-most rushing yards, the 11th-most yards, and the 16th-most points in the league.
Vic Fangio is still the man steering the unit, and he can still deliver a strong week on command. But after Philadelphia spent most of three quarters hanging in there in Week 4 before Sean McVay’s offense broke it open, the defense gave up 14 unanswered points in a 24-20 loss after losing Quinyon Mitchell and Greenard to injuries mid-game.
Coen may not be McVay, but he comes from that system and has already found ways to move Jacksonville’s offense despite the uneven split between the passing game and the run game. Given everything the Eagles are carrying into this trip, a second straight game of 300 passing yards against them would not be a shock, and that would point straight toward a Jaguars win in London.
Before the season, this looked like a game the Eagles would probably have on their side. The Jaguars were coming off a strong year, and Philadelphia’s own upgrades felt more theoretical than certain. Still, one franchise has been to the Super Bowl three times in the last decade, while the other’s struggles have been so chronic they became a punchline on The Good Place.
Now the equation looks different. With DeVonta Smith and Saquon Barkley questionable for Week 5, three new starters on the offensive line, and morale at the Jefferson Health Training Complex looking shaky at best, just putting together a complete game may be enough to give the Eagles something to build on once they return from the trip, even if the result in London goes against them.
The Jaguars are 3-1 and already sitting atop the AFC South with a one-game edge over the Indianapolis Colts. They may not need this win as badly as Philadelphia does, but they still have the edge for a reason.
In Other News...
Former Jaguars Pick Just Landed Back In The AFC South
The Texans dipped into the open market for some familiar AFC South help, adding linebacker Chad Muma, defensive back Jaden Davis and running back Deuce Vaughn to the practice squad as they work through injuries and depth concerns heading into their next game. For Jacksonville readers, Muma stands out as the former Jaguars draft pick now back in the division, a reminder of how quickly personnel can shuffle around this league this time of year.
Houston also is making a notable change on the sideline, with coach DeMeco Ryans saying he is resuming defensive play-calling duties. Between the roster moves and the shift in responsibility, the Texans are clearly trying to steady things on both sides of the ball, and Mumas addition gives them another experienced piece to sort through as they patch together their depth. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Lawrence Gets A Huge Chance To Flip Jaguars-Eagles Script
Trevor Lawrence has given the Jaguars enough reason to believe this matchup can look different from the usual script when Philadelphia comes to town in Week 5. Jacksonvilles quarterback has played well this season, and the teams run defense has been one of the steadier parts of the operation, giving the Jaguars a chance to lean into the kind of complementary football that travels well against a contender.
Philadelphia brings its own issues into the game, including injuries and some turnover up front on the offensive line, which could make life a little less comfortable than usual for the Eagles. From Jacksonvilles perspective, that opens the door for the defense to keep doing its job and for Lawrence to have one of those games that changes how a matchup feels before it is over. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Still Waiting On Key Secondary Voice Before Eagles Game
The Jaguars got a small but meaningful update in practice this week when safety Eric Murray moved from non-participant to limited as he continues through the NFLs concussion protocol. With a trip to face the Eagles in London coming up, any progress for a starter in the secondary matters, especially on a defense that has leaned on communication and quick adjustments early in the season.
Murrays status now gives Jacksonville a better chance of having one of its most experienced defensive voices available when it matters most. Several other Jaguars were also logged as limited or full participants heading into Week 5, but Murrays availability looms larger than most because of how much the defense values his presence on the back end. [Read more 🡒]