Cam Little delivered the kind of kick that can turn a game inside out, drilling a 57-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Jacksonville Jaguars over the Philadelphia Eagles 19-17 on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The finish was chaotic even by NFL standards. Ameer Abdullah’s 53-yard kickoff return after Jake Elliott had put Philadelphia ahead 17-16 with 8 seconds left gave Jacksonville one last chance, and Little finished it. The winning kick came after Little had already missed an extra point wide left following Parker Washington’s 27-yard touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter.
Trevor Lawrence did the heavy lifting for Jacksonville for most of the afternoon. He went 24 of 39 for 331 yards, threw two touchdowns to Washington and added an interception as the Jaguars improved to 4-1.
Washington was Lawrence’s favorite target throughout the game, and the pair connected on the Jaguars’ first scoring strike as well. Lawrence hit him for a 51-yard touchdown early to put Jacksonville in front 7-0 before Philadelphia answered with two scoring drives.
The Eagles, playing without leading rusher Saquon Barkley and receiver DeVonta Smith and working behind a patched-up offensive line, responded first with a long march and then with a quick knockout punch. Travis Hunter was flagged for defensive pass interference on third-and-17 in the red zone, which helped set up first-and-goal from the 3. Two plays later, Will Shipley scored from the 2 to cap a 13-play drive that took more than seven minutes.
Then Jalen Hurts struck fast. After Jacksonville’s next possession ended in a three-and-out, Hurts needed less than a minute to put Philadelphia back in front. He found Darius Cooper for a 62-yard touchdown on third down, sending the Philly-heavy crowd into a roar and giving the Eagles a 14-7 lead.
Jacksonville closed the gap before halftime and had a real chance to swing the game back its way. With 1 second left in the half, the Jaguars went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1, but Eagles linebacker Zack Baun got through Chris Rodriguez Jr. and tackled Bhayshul Tuten for a loss. Nick Sirianni reacted by jumping and pumping his fist as Philadelphia carried a 14-7 edge into the break.
Little trimmed it to 14-10 with a 34-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Philadelphia later nudged back ahead on Elliott’s late kick. But the final sequence belonged to Jacksonville.
Hurts finished 21 of 40 for 220 yards and one touchdown. Jalen Carter was disruptive for Philadelphia, recording two sacks and two forced fumbles.
The game also had an early flashpoint. Jaguars rookie Josh Cameron returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for what would have been a touchdown, but the play was wiped out by offsetting penalties, including a hold by Jacksonville’s Branson Combs.
That sequence led to a scrum at midfield, with pushing and shoving on both sides. Bryan Thomas Jr. of Jacksonville and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. of Philadelphia were both ejected.
Injuries piled up as the day wore on.
For the Eagles, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard warmed up with an ankle issue but was ruled out before kickoff. OLB Jalyx Hunt was hurt on the final play of the first half and had to be helped off.
DB Michael Carter was ruled out in the third quarter. CB Quinyon Mitchell got up slowly after an interception in the third quarter but returned.
Shipley exited late in the second quarter with a foot injury.
Jacksonville also took hits. LT Anton Harrison was carted off in the third quarter with what appeared to be a right knee injury.
Long snapper Ross Matiscik left with an apparent shoulder injury. S Eric Murray did not dress because of a concussion, and DB Jaylon Jones had already been ruled out Friday with a hamstring injury.
In Other News...
Jaguars Fans Had One Big Problem With Jason Kelce In London
Jason Kelces turn in the broadcast booth for the Eagles-Jaguars game in London came with the usual curiosity that follows a recently retired player calling a game involving his old team. For Jaguars fans, the bigger question was whether he could stay evenhanded while analyzing a Philadelphia matchup overseas, especially after some viewers and media critics raised concerns about how he handled his previous references to the Eagles.
Kelce did make room to highlight Jacksonvilles side, including a nod to emergency long snapper DaVon Hamilton for handling an unusual role during the game. He also acknowledged on his podcast how hard it can be to sound neutral when the former team is the one on the field, while saying he would try to be fair to the Jaguars. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Got The Break They Needed On One Eagles Decision
The Jaguars got a timely assist in their win over Philadelphia, and it came from an Eagles decision that proved costly in the games final stretch. Late in the loss, Jake Elliott was instructed to kick the ball in-bounds instead of sending it for a touchback, a choice that opened the door for Ameer Abdullah to bring the kickoff back 53 yards and put Jacksonville in position for the winning field goal.
Nick Sirianni later owned the call, taking full responsibility and apologizing to his team for a move he said cost them the game. From Jacksonvilles side, it was the kind of break that can decide a tight matchup, especially when field position suddenly flips and a single possession becomes the difference between a win and a letdown. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Fans Had One Big Problem With Jason Kelce In London
Jason Kelces first major stop in the broadcast booth at the Eagles-Jaguars game in London drew plenty of attention, and not all of it was complimentary. A lot of the reaction centered on whether the former Eagles center was keeping enough distance from the team he spent his entire playing career with, even as he settled into his new role on the call.
For Jaguars fans, one of the more notable moments came when Kelce praised emergency long snapper DaVon Hamilton during the telecast, a rare spotlight for a player who ended up in an unusual spot for Jacksonville. Kelce has already acknowledged how hard it is to stay neutral when the game involves his former team, and he said he would try to be fair moving forward, which leaves the broader question of how he balances those loyalties as his broadcast career develops. [Read more 🡒]