Cam you believe it?! – Jaguars and Eagles serve up a thriller at Spurs

By Paul Gould

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium played host to the second of its double-header of NFL games on Sunday, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars battling out a thriller in the autumn sunshine.

I’ve been fortunate to attend NFL games at Spurs in recent years as a fan, but yesterday I had the privilege to cover the game for The Touchdown from the press box alongside my brilliant colleague, Thomas Willoughby.

And what a treat it was. Wire to wire, from the first play to the very last, the record 61,322 crowd was captivated by a contest that combined chaos, stunning plays and last-gasp drama.

Fight or flight for the Eagles?

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In a pre-match press conference, Philadelphia Eagles HC Nick Sirianni said: “Adversity can give you such an opportunity for growth and can unite.”

The adversity Sirianni spoke of was there in abundance. The Eagles entered their fourth international game nursing a slew of injuries, assembling an overhauled offensive line, and striving to halt a two-game slide. If they were hoping for a ‘get right’ game, then the savage Jacksonville Jaguars were certainly not the opponents they would have wished for.

Arriving in London at the eleventh hour, the 2-2 Eagles were at an early season crossroads. But still in the hunt in an open division, it seemed this game was going to provide a good indication of the direction in which they are headed.

Jacksonville upwardly mobile?

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Jacksonville, meanwhile, have quietly constructed an impressive start to their campaign. With much of the attention in the AFC on the Bills, Chiefs and Ravens, the Jaguars arguably had a better opening month of the season than their illustrious rivals. A win here, with all the world watching, would make it impossible for doubters to overlook them any longer.

Going into this Week 5 matchup, the Jaguars had shown that they are one of the most balanced teams in the league. Trevor Lawrence has been playing some of the best football of his career and the defense has looked formidable.

Already leading the AFC South, could they take a stranglehold on the division here?

Let’s get ready to rumble

The game immediately produced an explosive start with Jacksonville apparently returning the kick off for a touchdown whilst a fight ensued between Eagles LB Jeremiah Trotter and Jaguars DE Bryan Thomas Jr. at midfield. With flags flying in from all sides, offsetting penalties (illegal formation and holding} and two player disqualifications later, the anti-climactic outcome was a retaken kick off.

But that incident set the tone for a breathless first quarter. The Eagles front seven harried Lawrence from the outset, with DT Jalen Carter stripping the ball from him on the opening possession, only for the Jaguars to recover the ball.

Another theme established on the Jaguars first drive was an alarming number of penalties committed by Jacksonville that pushed them back at crucial moments throughout the game.

The Eagles first drive also foreshadowed how their afternoon would play out. Jalen Hurts was able to find his targets through the air as the restructured offensive line kept the Jaguars pass rush at bay, but the running attack minus Saquon Barkley was toothless. The drive ended with a failed 4th & 1 attempt and Philadelphia ultimately finished the game with a meagre 22 total rushing yards.

The first score came on Jacksonville’s second possession. On 1st & 10 at midfield, Lawrence rolled out and connected on a short pass to Parker Washington. The impressive young receiver then took off on a gallop to the endzone that left the Eagles defense trailing in his wake.

Eagles prey on Jacksonville errors

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But the defiant Eagles came storming back in the second quarter. They marched 64 yards on a 13-play drive that ended with RB Will Shipley running it in to level the score, following a pass interference call against Travis Hunter near the goal line.

History repeated itself on Jacksonville’s next drive when a Jalen Carter strip sack of Lawrence was again recovered by the Jaguars, leading to a quick three and out.

It looked like Eagles would suffer a three and out of their own on their next possession. But on 3rd & 10, Darius Cooper snared a beautiful rainbow of a pass from Hurts and took it to the house for a 62-yard touchdown, establishing a 14-7 lead with 5:31 remaining in the half.

Philadelphia’s defense then stepped up to play their part with an epic goal line stand to deny the Jaguars as time expired, sending a heavily pro-Eagles crowd into raptures.

The tension builds

Midway through the third quarter, the Eagles’ wings, and their lead, were clipped by a 34-yard Cam Little field goal that was almost scuppered by a high snap on the attempt. Defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton was deputising as an emergency long snapper for the injured Ross Matiscik, and the linemen’s eventful afternoon in the role was only just beginning.

Following a Quinyon Mitchell interception of an underthrown Trevor Lawrence pass, the Eagles were unable to capitalise on the only turnover of the game, as their ground attack continued to be a non-factor and the offense grew increasingly one-dimensional.

On 3rd & 14 at their own 41, Hurts faced an all-out blitz and launched a deep pass down the sideline to a wide open Dontayvion Wicks. But the ball fell agonisingly just beyond the reach of the receiver and the opportunity for Philadelphia to extend their advantage went begging.

A thrilling finale

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Entering the final period, the Jaguars were battling their own struggles to move the ball effectively. However, they finally managed to get a sustained drive going and set up a 1st & Goal at the Eagles 2-yard line with just over eight minutes remaining.

But the penalty bug struck Jacksonville once again, suffering false starts and delay of game issues amid deafening crowd noise. The bizarre sequence this created also featured a Brian Thomas Jr. catch in the endzone, but the receiver was unable to keep both feet in bounds for a score.

Eventually facing fourth down just outside the 5-yard line, Jacksonville declined the opportunity to kick a field goal and make it a one-point game. Going for the lead instead, Lawrence was unable to locate an open receiver and sailed the ball out the back of the endzone.

But the Jaguars soon had the ball back and with good field position, following another three and out by Philadelphia. The offense moved into field goal range before stalling at the Eagles 27-yard line. Once again, Jacksonville elected to go for it on fourth down and this time it resulted in the play of the game.

Despite great coverage by Riq Woolen, Parker Washington reached out and snared an outstanding one-handed catch for a touchdown that put the Jaguars back in front 16-14. But another high snap from Hamilton on the extra point caused Cam Little to push his attempt left of the uprights.

Alive and kicking

So, with 3:13 remaining a field goal would win it for the Eagles. After an exchange of punts, Philadelphia got their chance but now inside the two-minute warning and with only one timeout in their pocket. With a minute remaining, Hurts connected over the middle with TE Dallas Goedert, putting them in range for the go-ahead kick.

And after picking up another seven yards, Jake Elliott stepped up and slotted home a 48-yard field goal with only 8 seconds left. 17-16, and the Eagles faithful and players alike began celebrating the game-winning score…or so they thought.

Instead of putting the ensuing kick-off out of bounds and placing the Jaguars in a cavernous hole, the Eagles invited returner Ameer Abdullah to run it back into field goal range with enough time to make an attempt. And that’s exactly what he did. Eventually, brought to the turf at the Eagles 39 with just one tick remaining, Abdullah’s heroics gave Cam Little the chance for glory from 57 yards out.

And it also gave DaVon Hamilton a chance of redemption following his wayward snap on the earlier extra point. This time, when it mattered most, the whole operation was smooth enough for Little to do what he does best and put the ball between the posts. Jaguars secure an improbable win 19-17.

The soccer-loving kicker’s sprint to the endzone and Jude Bellingham style celebration will be long remembered by everyone who was there to witness it. I’m glad to count myself among them.

PAUL GOULD

NFL ANALYST

A freelance writer and editor based in Cambridgeshire, Paul has avidly followed the NFL since the late 1980’s and spends much of his spare time wondering if he’ll ever see the Raiders play in a Super Bowl again.

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