NFL London continues with Game Two of Three this Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles look to bounce back with a much-needed win against the in-form Jacksonville Jaguars. Ahead of the game, ESPN asked Eagles reporter Tim McManus and Jaguars reporter Michael DiRocco to assess their respective teams, the players UK fans should watch and where Sunday's matchup could be won and lost...
How would you sum up the season so far?
TM: Troubling. The offense leads the league in three-and-outs (15) and ranks in the bottom 10 of the league in a number of categories, including yards per play (4.7, 27th) and sacks allowed (12, T-4th-most). They have struggled to find an offensive identity and that task becomes even harder now that right tackle Lane Johnson has retired and interior lineman Cam Jurgens has been traded to the Ravens.
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MD: Taking down QBs. One of the criticisms of the Jaguars' late-season run in 2025 was the lack of quality quarterbacks they beat. They've already beaten Drake Maye, who was the MVP runner-up last season, and Joe Burrow. Deshaun Watson has been solid in three of his four games, with the exception being Week 1 against the Jaguars. They're beating good QBs. Now they face Jalen Hurts, who has been to two Super Bowls and won one.
What's the biggest thing we've learned about this team that we didn't know coming into the season?
TM: That the defense faced a bigger learning curve than we thought. There have been some communication breakdowns in the absence of linebacker Nakobe Dean (Raiders) and safety Reed Blankenship (Texans). Vic Fangio's group looked more buttoned up against the Rams last week before wearing down under the weight of playing 77 snaps and giving up a pair of touchdowns late.
MD: The Jaguars are established as one of the AFC's best teams and are a legit Super Bowl contender. The offense skyrocketed in the second half of last season and that helped them win their last eight games and an AFC South title. The big question was whether that was lightning in a bottle or would they pick up where they left off in 2026. In four games they twice scored more than 30 points and are averaging 26 per game. The defense is again forcing turnovers (eight, second-most in the NFL), and many wondered if what it did last year (31 turnovers) was a fluke, too. Looks like none of it was.
What's the mood around the team about travelling to London?
TM: Given the early adversity, coach Nick Sirianni said his messaging is about "locking arms, staying together and just having each other's backs in a situation." Sirianni referenced the start to the 2024 season when they began 2-2, made some adjustments and went on to mount what proved to be a Super Bowl run. "I think sometimes we conveniently forget those things," Sirianni "We don't up here."
MD: There are a lot of players who have made this trip multiple times -- including punter Logan Cooke, who will be playing in his NFL-record 10th international game -- so there's a normalcy about it for much of the team. That makes it easier to treat it as a business trip, which is what multiple players called it earlier this week.
Who's been the standout player so far -- and who should UK fans watch out for?
TM: Quinyon Mitchell hasn't been perfect but continues to flash his lockdown corner abilities. His absence late in the game against the Rams because of a knee injury was another major factor in why Matthew Stafford was able to mount a late attack.
MD: Liam Coen has Trevor Lawrence playing at a consistently high level -- in his last 12 regular season games he's thrown 27 touchdown passes and seven interceptions and the Jaguars are 11-1 -- and as a result the offense is churning out yards and points. The last time the Jaguars were in the UK Travis Hunter was mainly playing offense and he caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams. Now he's mainly playing cornerback and he may only play a handful of offensive snaps against the Eagles. Hunter has an interception, three pass breakups, and eight tackles in the last two games.
Where do you think Sunday's game will be won and lost?
TM: In the trenches. It will be a big challenge for this new-look oline to slow down Jacksonville's respectable front, and equally challenging for Hurts to trust that his protection will hold up amid so many moving parts.
MD: The Jaguars' offensive line has had trouble with disruptive defensive linemen and the Eagles have two really good ones in Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. The Jaguars must keep those two from wrecking the game, whether that's pressuring Lawrence or stuffing the run. The Jaguars have also avoided turning the ball over (just two, tied for second-fewest in the league) but that could be an issue if they don't at least limit Carter and Davis.
Who wins and why?
TM: The Jaguars. They are the healthier and more complete team right now. The Eagles defense will have to generate multiple takeaways (they had two against the Rams after being blanked the previous three weeks) if Philadelphia intends to pull off the upset.
MD: It's a good matchup between Coen and Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Jaguars have more playmakers on both sides of the ball, Lawrence is rolling, and some of the Eagles' key players are banged up. Jaguars win.
