JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are walking into a London stretch that suddenly looks a lot more manageable than it did when the schedule came out.
What was supposed to be a punishing two-game overseas trip now comes with a different kind of momentum. The Jaguars are 3-1 after a big win over the Bengals, and they head into Weeks 5 and 6 with road games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans in London.
When those matchups were first set, they carried plenty of baggage. The Eagles were viewed as a loaded team because of the talent on both sides of the ball, and the Texans drew plenty of national attention as a popular pick to win the AFC South - even landing in the Super Bowl conversation for some. One month into the season, though, the picture has changed.
Philadelphia is 2-2 and dealing with major issues on offense. The Eagles are also expected to be without several key starters for at least Week 5. They could be down to their third-string running back, Lane Johnson just retired, and they are missing a few other important pieces as well.
Houston hasn’t exactly made the trip any more intimidating. The Texans are 0-4 and play the 0-4 Tennessee Titans this week in a matchup for last place in the AFC South. The Jaguars still have work ahead of them, but this is a far less imposing run than it looked like in the summer.
That said, London still brings its own grind, and Jacksonville knows that part well. The Jaguars are 2-1 at Tottenham and 7-7 overall in London, with wins in three of their last five games overseas. This will also mark the third time in team history that they’ve played consecutive games in London, after going 3-1 in those two previous stretches in 2023 and 2024.
Even with that familiarity, head coach Liam Coen made clear Monday that the week demands a certain kind of focus.
“Yeah, it's a big week of mental toughness. A lot going on with the travel and the preparations, as you mentioned. And leaning into those guys will be critical," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said Monday.
"Obviously everybody being on the same page and the understanding what the schedule is pre going out there. We talked about that today and getting ahead of some of the things regarding Friday in terms of they're going to be fatigued and tired when we get over there and trust that we'll take care of you guys and do what's right by you during the week. But we're going to need some mental toughness throughout this week to go out there and make sure that we're physically and mentally prepared to go play this physical game on Sunday against Philly.”
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Jaguars Fans Just Landed Near The Top Of A Surprising NFL List
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The weight-loss buzz only adds to the broader momentum around a Jaguars team that finished 13-4 and captured the AFC South in Coens debut season. Jacksonville has also backed up the optimism with recent wins over the Bengals and Patriots, leaving the fan base focused on how far this run can go while Coens transformation continues to draw attention of its own. [Read more 🡒]