Real Improvement or Short-Term Relief? Jaguars Overturn 10-Point Deficit to Defeat Patriots at Wembley
By Simon Carroll
Sunday saw the final act of a trio of NFL games in London, with the Jacksonville Jaguars coming back to beat the New England Patriots 32-16. Simon Carroll reports back from Wembley Stadium, and what the win means for the Jags going forward:
Can A Jaguar Change It's Spots?
Doug first up at the podium.
— Simon Carroll (@NFLDraftSi) October 20, 2024
"We needed to have that feeling of winning again."#Jaguars #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/ngPrZ7PfGC
I’ve had the privilege of covering the Jacksonville Jaguars in London for the past six years. And over the course of those seven games at Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, we’ve seen various iterations of this franchise that has recorded a 4-3 record on British soil. We caught the tail-end of the demise of the Doug Marrone era, one that saw the Jags reach an AFC Championship Game in 2017 but three years later won just one game. Armed with the first overall pick and an arsenal of draft capital, the ill-fated tenure of Urban Meyer came and went, the team matching their win at Spurs with just one more victory before his transgressions became too much. And now, we’re into year three of the Doug Pederson reign, one that feels much healthier but hasn’t hit the heights that the improbable playoff run of 2022 alluded to.
The Jaguars might be London’s team, but within the NFL itself they’re largely forgotten about. No longer the laughing stock of the league, they still can’t seem to make themselves relevant, known more for swimming pools in the stadium and fancy retro jerseys than challenging the heavyweights in the AFC. Under Marrone they were a rudderless ship, under Meyer a car crash waiting to happen. But under Pederson, perhaps the overarching sentiment would be one of underachievement.
This franchise is not an easy team to figure out. They have lost to a hapless Nathaniel Hackett-led Broncos team at Wembley and gone on to make the playoffs, but also won back to back games last year in London only to inexplicably fall apart down the stretch. Last week they were ruthlessly torn apart by the Chicago Bears, only for them to bounce back on Sunday with an important victory. But at 2-5, and the wild inconsistency we have come to expect from the Jaguars, does this win actually mean anything going forward?
Vital Win
Andre Cisco on what was different this week from last:
— Simon Carroll (@NFLDraftSi) October 20, 2024
"We stuck to the script, was much more disciplined. Started off slow, but got into it and kept on it."#DUUUVAL #Jaguars pic.twitter.com/4aFpv9X4s2
One thing we know for sure is that the Jaguars NEEDED to win this game. Despite one of the more reasonable, some would say inactive ownerships who are reticent to fire head coaches, Doug Pederson was feeling the heat. If fans had anything to do with it, GM Trent Baalke would also be on the hotseat. Despite the pair insisting they had the backing of Shah Khan, another loss would have been difficult to stomach.
This is a team that was anticipating a playoff push, not a rebuild. They made Trevor Lawrence the highest-paid QB in the league (a crown now stolen by Dak Prescott) and added a wealth of talent via free agency. They sport a pair of pass rushers that most other franchises would envy, and a Super Bowl-winning head coach in place. Excuses seemed to be wearing thin, and we were at the point where only results would be accepted.
It didn’t start well, with the New England Patriots the quicker team to settle at Wembley. Rookie QB Drake Maye was carving up a secondary that has come in for some criticism this season, and two drives in the Pats were ten points up. Former Jaguars RB JaMycal Hasty’s TD catch epitomised the troubles the Jags were having, with Josh Hines-Allen looking lost in coverage as he waltzed into the endzone.
But then, something changed. A level of resilience was demonstrated that we hadn’t seen from this team so far this season. The offensive line began to impose their will on the Patriots’ front seven. Trevor Lawrence was close to perfect on the day, routinely finding Evan Engram and Brian Thomas to move the chains. Tank Bigsby took over the game, bullying the Pats on his way to a career day. And the defense stiffened, particularly in the secondary as Maye was forced to sling it as New England chased the game. Sprinkle in a pretty special 97 yard TD return from Parker Washington, and what looked like another long afternoon for Jaguars fans turned into a fairly complete performance and a much-needed victory.
Cause For Optimism?
Trevor Lawrence was happy with how the Jags overcame adversity, dominated the clock and got into a groove on offense quickly.#DUUUVAL #Jaguars pic.twitter.com/TKYsv0cOi0
— Simon Carroll (@NFLDraftSi) October 20, 2024
As good an outing as Sunday was, the Jaguars will be the first to tell you that this team has accomplished nothing yet. They’re still 2-5, and despite proving it can be done in recent history, making the playoffs with that kind of record at this juncture is unlikely. Factor in their next five games before the bye (Packer, Eagles, Vikings, Lions, Texans) and the mission becomes seemingly impossible. And yet, the Wembley win showed us some positives that this team can hang their hat on.
They can run the ball. This sounds so simple it should be a given, but when was the last time you saw the Jaguars pound a team on the ground into submission? Tank Bigsby was unstoppable on Sunday, and at one point the Jags reeled off 19 consecutive run plays to kill the clock and secure the win. With Travis Etienne expected back soon, things should get even better. The secondary was also much better with the surprise return of Tyson Campbell, activated from IR just the day before. And Trevor Lawrence’s blossoming chemistry with rookie receiver Brian Thomas is exciting. Having that deep threat that they showed on the 58 yard connection gives the offense that extra dimension that makes them difficult to defend against.
Last week, Andre Cisco said he saw ‘a whole lotta quit’ from some of his teammates. Trevor Lawrence wanted to see some resilience when things got tough. That accountability obviously struck a nerve amongst the group, with Doug Pederson saying it was one of the best weeks of practice they’ve had during his time with the team. And on the field it was evident, none more so than the composure the team showed after a first quarter that didn’t go well. The response? A 22-point second quarter that effectively turned this game on its head.
And finally, an acknowledgment that Sunday was perhaps the best game of the season from a play-calling and coaching perspective. Pederson loves to talk about ‘complimentary football’ and ‘all three phases’. Sunday encompassed that mantra, with each unit stepping up and working in cohesion. Yes, the Patriots are possibly the worst team in the AFC right now. And yes, history tells us that a Wembley win can mean nothing for the rest of the season. But in terms of a performance and a result, the Jaguars couldn’t have really asked for more.