JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Is history repeating itself? It may be.
The Jaguars are packing their bags and traveling across the pond for back-to-back games in London. Similar to last season, the Jaguars only had one win heading into their European trip. But the Jaguars beat both of their opponents: Atlanta Falcons 23-7, and Buffalo Bills 25-20, which sparked an 8-3 start. They became the first NFL franchise to win consecutive games overseas. This season, the Jaguars are 1-4 and again playing back-to-back games in London for Weeks 6 and 7.
“Having the experience of going over there, you kind of know how to handle it, you know what to expect, you know how you’re going to feel,” Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. “You’re going to feel a little sluggish, a little groggy once you get over there, but you’ll settle in quick. I think a big part of it too is getting a lot of your prep done while you’re here. Obviously, there are going to be a few things to do over there to make sure we’re ready to roll, but trying to do as much as you can here so that you can really just focus on your body and your sleep and getting ready to play on Sunday.”
When the Jaguars arrive Friday morning, they will check into The Grove Hotel and get to make themselves at home as the team will not have to change hotels after Sunday, like they had to do last season.
“It’ll be nice,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said. “Unload your bag and you make that home for the next week and a half. It’s great after the game. Come right back there. It’s your room and your stuff and you get ready for the next week.”
The Jaguars are the “away” team for their first London game, which is against the Chicago Bears. They will play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at 9:30 a.m.
The Bears are 3-2 heading into Sunday’s matchup. Quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in last April‘s draft, is improving in his rookie season. He had one of his best games last week completing 20-of-29 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns in Chicago’s 36-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.
“I think the quarterback’s playing better,” Pederson said. “I think he’s seeing things – seeing the field better. We know the talent that he is. Great talent, young player, and has the ability to move in the pocket and run and escape. I think that’s, for them, I think there’s consistency there. The Oline is playing better. Again, just this whole thing takes time. It’s a new signal-caller back there, they’ve got some pieces they’re all trying to gel together, and I guess just try to learn a little bit, and so you’re seeing that improvement each week.
“I mean, you like to play against rookie quarterbacks,” Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said. “You like to play against them, a lot of them want to make the big plays when those numbers get called so they tend to hold onto the ball a little more. I know with this quarterback he does a really good job of moving away from sacks. So, that gives us more opportunities to rush the ball because I believe he has all the confidence in the world that can’t nobody sack him.”
Defensively, the Bears pose a difficult test for Lawrence and Co as well.
“They’re a good defense,” Lawrence said. “I mean, you look at just from the numbers standpoint, since at some point last year up until now, I mean, they’ve been one of the top defenses in the league. I think it pops on tape, just how they play, their effort. Huge emphasis on getting turnovers, getting their hands on the ball, whether that’s punch outs, forcing fumbles or plays down the field and making plays on the ball. They all have great ball skills. I think that’s one thing that definitely jumps off the tape. When a ball is near them, they’re going to make the play and make it more times than not.”
On offense, one of the key targets for Lawrence is trending to return when the team is overseas. Tight end Evan Engram has not played since Week 1 at the Miami Dolphins. He injured his hamstring while warming up for the Browns game. Pederson says he is likely going to play Sunday against the Bears.
“Evan does a lot,” Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk said. “He’s a mismatch. He’s a matchup nightmare. We saw that obviously last year with the season that he had. Obviously, he hasn’t had many opportunities this year with only one game played but we’re really excited to get him back just with his physicality, his presence and then obviously with what he’s able to do with his routes. He runs routes like a receiver so like I said, he’s a mismatch nightmare. I’m just really happy that he’s going to be back over there and just his presence in the middle of the field, short intermediate routes. It’s going to be big for us and I know he’s big for Trevor when it comes to just having that security. Just another piece, a huge part of our offense, getting him back will be big.”
For the Jaguars defense, the team is getting one of their playmakers back. On Wednesday, the Jaguars opened cornerback Tyson Campbell’s 21-day window. Campbell will travel with the team to London, but he is unlikely to play against the Bears. Though Pederson says Campbell is likely to play in Week 7 against the New England Patriots.
“We’re excited to be in a position to open his window,” Pederson said. “Really, it just allows him, the player, to just kind of work himself back into practice. He’s been training and rehabbing, and it’s different than football movements. It’s a way for us as coaches too to monitor that and keep him in a kind of a controlled environment. But excited. Looking forward to him getting out there with the guys and see where it goes here in the next couple of weeks.”
Campbell brings versatility and a veteran presence in the secondary that the defense is looking forward to having back.
“He’s a corner that when he’s in his zone you don’t want to bother on his side,” Hines-Allen said. “So, that locks down one side of the field. Buster [CB Montaric Brown] and Darby [CB Ronald Darby] are doing a good job so far in doing what they are supposed to do. So, having Tyson back and having Savage [S Darnell Savage] back brings a lot of versatility, a lot more age, a lot more experience in the back end. So, with them I think it just allows more confidence throughout everybody else. Just to play free, ‘Oh, Tyson’s back’. You know what I mean? Just to have your starters back out there means a lot. Even when Foye [LB Foye Oluokun] gets back, it’s going to feel a little bit different. We haven’t had our full defensive roster since Miami. Just to be able to get everybody back at one time, it’s going to be special. Hopefully Tyson can stay healthy, because when he is healthy he is a heck of a player and I can’t wait to play with him again.”
It was a flight over to London last season that was referenced in a lawsuit brought upon former Jaguars kicker Brandon McManus. It alleged he sexually assaulted two female flight attendants. While the civil lawsuit is still ongoing in Duval Circuit Civil Court, the NFL’s investigation found there was insufficient evidence that McManus violated the league’s personal conduct policy. Pederson was asked if the team has made any changes to the team’s travel procedures after the lawsuit.
“I think it’s important for everybody that travels with us, whether they’re part of the team or they’re apart of the business staff,” Pederson said. “That’s an extension of our building. That’s an extension of, really, NFL property. We make it clear to everybody that there’s a certain way we travel. And we have to respect who our owner – our owner allows us to travel a certain way and travel extremely well. We’ve got to respect that. We revisited, back in training camp when we went to Atlanta in the first preseason game. You just continue to revisit the policy, the NFL policies, our policies on how we travel, and we’ve had good trips so far.
The Jaguars will act as the home team hosting the New England Patriots on October 20. Kickoff is also slated for 9:30 a.m. ET. This will be the first time backup quarterback Mac Jones faces his former team that drafted him 15th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
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