The Jacksonville Jaguars are at a crossroads right now, following three straight losses, and Sunday’s game in London against the Philadelphia Eagles is a must-win game. If the Jags fall to 3-5, that may be an impossible hole to climb out of.
The problem? The Eagles are also 3-4 and hungry for a victory. Similarly to its opponent this week, Philadelphia is in a must-win situation.
What happens on Sunday remains to be seen, but what we can look back on is the brief history between these two NFL franchises.
Series history
All-time regular season series record: Jaguars lead 3-2
Postseason Record: N/A
Last Jaguars win: Oct. 29, 2006 (13-6)
Last Eagles win: Sept. 7, 2014 (34-17)
Current Streak: Philadelphia has won two in a row
Biggest Jaguars win: 38-21 (Oct. 12, 1997)
Biggest Eagles win: 28-3 (Sept. 26, 2010)
Interesting takeaway: The Jaguars lead the all-time series, but have been outscored 114-99. Jacksonville outscored Philly 79-52 in the first three games, but the Eagles have dominated the last two meetings by a combined score of 62-20.
Quick thoughts: There isn’t a ton to draw from here. The Jaguars won the first three meetings, while the Eagles have taken the last two. Jacksonville is 2-1 as the home team in this series, and though the game will not be played at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville is the designated home team for this year’s contest. Three of the five games have been decided by at least 17 points, while the 2002 and 2006 matchups were decided by a combined 10 points (both won by the Jaguars).
Previous Matchup:
Winner: Eagles
Score: 34-17
Date: Sept. 7, 2014
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Team Stats: Jaguars — 266 passing yards, 64 rushing yards, 18 first downs
Eagles — 322 passing yards, 145 rushing yards, 24 first downs
Quick recap: This was actually the first game of the 2014 season, and Chad Henne drew the start over rookie Blake Bortles. The Jaguars jumped out to a 17-0 lead as Henne found an early connection with undrafted free agent Allen Hurns, who made an immediate splash in his NFL career with two touchdown catches in the first quarter. The second half was all Eagles, though. Darren Sproles got the ball rolling with a 49 yard rushing touchdown and a flurry of scoring ensued from there for Philly. The Eagles had scored 27 unanswered points, and to add insult to injury, Trent Cole stripped sacked Chad Henne (it’s not just a Bortles thing) late in the fourth quarter, which was returned for a touchdown by Fletcher Cox.
Prior Matchup
Winner: Eagles
Score: 28-23
Date: Sept. 26, 2010
Location: EverBank Field, Jacksonville
Team Stats: Jaguars — 105 passing yards, 139 rushing yards, 16 first downs
Eagles— 291 passing yards, 106 rushing yards, 15 first downs
Quick recap: This was an ugly game all the way around for the Jaguars. Mike Vick tore up the Jacksonville secondary for 291 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Vick also had 30 yards rushing and an additional touchdown on the ground. David Garrard, on the other hand, struggled, completing just 13 of 30 passes for 105 yards and an interception. He was also sacked seven times. Maurice Jones-Drew mustered 88 yards on the ground, but the offense couldn’t get anything going (sounds familiar). The Eagles were up 14-3 at halftime, and never looked back from there, adding two more second half touchdowns. The Jags never even threatened.
Through the Decades
1990s: Jaguars 1-0
2000-2010: Jaguars 2-1
2011-Present: Eagles 1-0
Quick thoughts: Again, not a lot of history or drama between these two teams, but the Jaguars easily took the first ever meeting in 1997 with a 38-21 victory. Jacksonville then won the next two matchups in 2002 and 2006, before Philly finally got its first ever win against Jacksonville in 2010. The Eagles then soundly beat the Jaguars once again in 2014. Interestingly, the five all-time games against the Eagles are tied with the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and St.Louis/Los Angeles Rams for the lowest amount of meetings ever for the Jags against NFL franchises.
Since this year’s game is going to be played across the pond, I think the advantage this week goes to Jacksonville. The Jaguars have all of the experience in this international situation, while the Eagles have never made the trip to the U.K. The players who have done it before understand the travel, atmosphere and other nuances that come with a week like this. There’s a reason why the majority of teams have lost their first game played in London, while two others tied. It’s a different dynamic, and it does make a difference.
This was very nearly the Super Bowl LII matchup. Now, both teams are struggling and in need of a win. What happens in the U.K. on Sunday?
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