By Steve Ovenden
Week 5 is here and welcome back to London. The Jags return to their home away from home, this time to host the Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Can Philly bounce back from their defeat to the Rams in Week 4, or will the Jags maintain their solid start to the season and continue setting the pace in the AFC South?
Eagles arrive in London needing a response
This game has not come at an ideal time for the Eagles. They arrive with a 2-2 record after consecutive defeats: a blowout loss to the Bears and a defeat to the Rams after surrendering a fourth-quarter lead. They are two decent teams, to be fair, but what rattles fans is the performances behind the defeats.
Being outplayed while also contributing to their own downfall does not give fans confidence. Leading the Rams but going 0-for-12 on third-down conversions is a good example of failing to control a game. They also do not seem to have answers when star players are unavailable.
On the other hand, the Jags have confidence and momentum. They have won their last two games and look like a solid outfit. They do not look as though they will be worried about what the Eagles bring.
Philadelphia’s injuries put more pressure on Jalen Hurts
To make matters worse for Philadelphia, the final injury report confirms that Saquon Barkley (hamstring), DeVonta Smith (hamstring) and Marquise Brown (ankle) are ruled out. Fellow running back Tank Bigsby is on injured reserve, leaving Will Shipley expected to handle the majority of the running workload.
The absences at wide receiver give Makai Lemon a chance to take on greater responsibility as a target for Jalen Hurts. However, the return of tight end Dallas Goedert provides a welcome boost. Jacksonville have fewer concerns among their attacking options, with Jakobi Meyers a full participant in Thursday’s practice despite his thumb injury.
The loss of key players is hard on any team. The uncomfortable truth is that the Eagles have not performed at their best this season even with those players. They have not scored more than 24 points in a game so far and now face a Jags defence that has not conceded more than 20.
Hurts is going to have to put on a show this week. He will shoulder a lot of the responsibility, especially helping Shipley in the run game. He has 21 carries for 105 yards on the ground, second in the team behind Barkley. This is an opportunity to show what type of leader he is and answer critics who question his claim to elite quarterback status.
Consistency is the key for Jacksonville
The Jags essentially need to keep doing what they are doing. We know Trevor Lawrence can produce through the air and, when necessary, make plays on the ground. He has spread the ball around a reliable receiving corps and has Bhayshul Tuten putting in solid work in the run game. Tuten has at least 88 scrimmage yards in each game and two touchdowns so far this season.
Lawrence needs to keep things tidy, avoiding unnecessary penalties and turnovers. Philadelphia rank roughly in the middle of the pack in most areas on defence this season. That should give Jacksonville confidence, but it is not something to take for granted.
The Jacksonville defence has a couple of things to address after last week’s win against the Bengals. They allowed Joe Burrow to throw for 428 yards and only sacked him twice, although they limited him to one touchdown. If they give Hurts that sort of time, he could punish them in different ways.
Cutting out penalties would also take pressure off themselves. Their 13 penalties for 125 yards kept the Bengals alive and dangerous throughout the game. The Jags did the job, but they do not want to ride their luck too much. Teams like Philadelphia can take advantage, no matter how weak they may seem.
Eagles vs Jaguars prediction
This game does not look like one of the all-time classics, but it could raise a few questions. If they win, are the Jags legitimate AFC contenders this year? Would another Eagles loss suggest they are slipping away from their era as a dominant NFL team? Win or lose, where does Jalen Hurts sit in the elite quarterback conversation?
Ultimately, I’m backing Jacksonville to win on Sunday.
For more on the NFL in London, read Ray Binns’ argument for keeping NFL teams based in the United States.
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