Early morning football at Tottenham, and it’s already been a back-and-forth one. Philadelphia leads Jacksonville 14-10 as of this writing, though there’s still plenty of game left.
Jacksonville struck first, driving right into Eagles territory for an early score. 7-0. Philadelphia answered almost immediately, tied it up at 7-7, then pulled ahead 14-7 after a second touchdown and a Jake Elliott extra point. Jacksonville’s since clawed back a bit, down to 14-10 now.
A couple of defensive plays stand out so far. Jalen Carter got to Trevor Lawrence for his second strip-sack of the day, forcing a fumble that cost Jacksonville 10 yards on the recovery. Quinyon Mitchell picked off Lawrence too, on a third-and-7 at the Jacksonville 48, exactly the kind of play that can swing a tight game like this one.
On offense, Dameon Pierce got his first carry as an Eagle late in the first quarter. Small moment, but worth noting in what’s otherwise been Jalen Hurts running the show.
Philadelphia came in at 2-2, trying to snap a two-game skid. Jacksonville’s the hotter team, 3-1, sitting on top of the AFC South, looking to prove they belong in the conversation with the AFC’s better teams. Both squads got knocked out in the Wild Card round last year, so there’s a little extra on the line here beyond just Week 5 positioning.
Jaguars coach Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence talked to reporters Friday at The Grove in Watford ahead of the trip, and it was pretty clear Jacksonville’s treating this as a real test against a good NFC team. Philadelphia’s dealing with some banged-up depth too, Saquon Barkley’s out, which had a lot of analysts picking Jacksonville’s run defense to give the Eagles trouble on the ground today.
Jaguars safety Eric Murray was inactive for this one. On the Eagles side, Will Shipley picked up a foot injury in the second quarter, something to keep an eye on given Barkley’s already out.
This is the second of three NFL London games this season, and only the second regular-season game the Eagles have ever played in London. ABC and NFL Network have it at home, DAZN’s handling it internationally for Game Pass subscribers. Fans were out at the NFL Experience in Trafalgar Square over the weekend too, part of the whole buildup the league does around these London games.
Philadelphia’s defense is creating chances early, and Jacksonville’s shown they can answer back when they need to, so this one’s got the feel of a game that stays close into the second half. Big question is whether Philadelphia’s offense can keep moving without Barkley, and whether Jacksonville’s defense finds a way to slow down Hurts and the run game regardless.
Check back for the final score and full recap once the game wraps up at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
