The NFL’s London stretch continues in Week 5, and this one comes with a very different feel than the usual overseas novelty act. Jacksonville is back in the spotlight at Wembley as the “home” team against a Philadelphia squad that suddenly looks shaky, shorthanded and searching for answers.
The Jaguars have made London part of their identity at this point. This will be the franchise’s 15th game there, and they’ve split those matchups right down the middle at 7-7.
They arrive this time with real momentum, too. After winning the AFC South in the 2025 campaign, Jacksonville has opened 2026 by taking three of its first four, and Trevor Lawrence’s stock keeps climbing with it.
He’s now listed at +650 to win MVP.
That rise has come on the back of statement wins. Jacksonville has already knocked off Cleveland, New England and Cincinnati, all of them teams with playoff-level expectations.
Oddsmakers have noticed. The Jaguars are laying 4.5 points in London, and the market is treating them like the more trustworthy side.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, is heading the other direction. The Eagles have lost two straight, including a Week 4 collapse against the Los Angeles Rams when they blew a 10-point lead in the closing minutes.
That loss came with more bad news on the injury front, as Dallas Goedert, Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith were all hurt. Their availability for Sunday is a major question, and if they’re out, Jalen Hurts will be carrying a heavy load.
Hurts did little to steady the ship last week. He finished 12 of 27 for 93 yards and two touchdowns, and over the past two games he has thrown for just 246 yards while the Eagles have been outscored 51-27.
Philadelphia’s offense has been one of the league’s weakest units through four games, ranking 29th in yards per play, 28th in EPA/Play and 30th in success rate. The Eagles are 2-2, no longer sitting atop the NFC East, and the numbers say the problems go well beyond one bad Sunday.
That challenge gets even tougher against a Jacksonville defense that has been solid early, ranking seventh in EPA/Play and 13th in success rate. The Jags just held the Cincinnati Bengals to 17 points in Week 4, and if Philadelphia is missing more firepower, the matchup tilts even further toward Jacksonville.
The contrast on offense is hard to ignore. Through three weeks, Jacksonville sits second in the league in EPA/Play and fourth in success rate.
The Jaguars have also been reliable when they’ve gotten the job done, covering the spread in all three of their wins. Two of those were convincing blowouts, including dominant outings against the Patriots and Browns in Weeks 1 and 3.
Philadelphia, by comparison, has yet to cover in 2026. The Eagles escaped with narrow wins over Washington and Tennessee to open the season, but even those results did little to quiet the concerns. Last week, they also got several fortunate breaks before the late-game unraveling, including a near-interception that turned into a touchdown.
There is still some time for the Eagles to get healthier before kickoff, and that matters. But based on what these teams have shown so far, Jacksonville looks like the sharper side and the more complete one. The Jaguars have also been a strong bet as favorites over the last two seasons, going 9-2 against the spread in that role.
The line would feel better closer to three, but with Philadelphia trending the wrong way and Jacksonville looking like the more efficient team on both sides, the pick is the Jaguars to cover in London.
In Other News...
Eagles Suddenly Have A London Availability Problem Fans Need To Watch
The Eagles are heading into their London trip for Week 5 with more uncertainty than anyone in Philadelphia would like this early in the season. Multiple key starters are already on injured reserve, and several more have carried questionable tags as the team gets ready for Jacksonville, leaving the roster picture in flux at a point where the margin for error is already thin.
Landon Dickerson, Zack Baun and DeVonta Smith are among the names the team is monitoring most closely, and their availability could shape how the Eagles handle a game that comes with the added challenge of overseas travel. For a team trying to settle in and keep its season moving forward, the health report may end up mattering as much as the matchup itself. [Read more 🡒]
Rex Ryan Just Poured Fuel On A Brutal Eagles Debate
Rex Ryan added another layer to the conversation around Philadelphias offense after the loss to the Rams, going straight at the Eagles offensive line and calling it abysmal. The criticism landed because it came after a night when the group struggled to protect the quarterback, with pressure showing up repeatedly and injuries thinning out a unit that already had little margin for error without Lane Johnson on the field.
Jordan Mailata, though, isnt sounding the alarm in the same way. The veteran tackle said he believes the group can get better as the season goes on, which is the part of this debate that matters most for the Eagles: whether the lines rough start is just early-season turbulence or the first sign of a longer problem up front. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Foles Just Reopened A Tough Jalen Hurts Debate
Nick Foles critique of Jalen Hurts after the Eagles Week 4 loss to the Rams landed because it went straight to the part of Hurts game that has always invited scrutiny: how quickly he sees it and how decisively he lets it go. Philadelphias offense has been built around Hurts ability to extend plays and create with his legs, but in a game where the passing rhythm never really settled, Foles pointed to timing and pocket poise as the issue, saying Hurts appeared to freeze rather than trust the throw.
Hurts line against Los Angeles was uneven enough to keep the conversation alive, even with two touchdown passes and no interceptions. After the game, he didnt try to swat away the broader concern, instead framing it as part of the teams ongoing work and development. For the Eagles, that leaves the same familiar question hanging in the background: whether Hurts can keep growing into a more complete passer without losing the parts of his game that make the offense go. [Read more 🡒]