NFL 2018 INTERNATIONAL SERIES GAME 3 -- PHILADELPHIA EAGLES vs JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Sunday 28th October

Philadelphia Eagles  vs Jacksonville Jaguars @ Wembley Stadium


The last of this seasons international games will again take place at Wembley on Sunday and ends this years three scheduled game series in London. Effectively this is a Jacksonville home game as they have been coming here for some time now and I believe also have a 10 year deal with the new Tottenham Hotspur stadium. Another sell out crowd is expected for these popular matches and kick off will be at 1.30pm (Uk Time) and is expected to be broadcast live on BBC2 which is a wonderful show of support for the sport from the Broadcaster on top of their two weekly update shows. To put on a live show in the evening and commit the schedule to potentially 3-4 hours worth of sport is something they have only done once before and that was on the now defunct BBC3 freeview channel. 

Current season record 

  Philadelphia Eagles
    - P7 W3 L4 F154 A138
  Jacksonville Jaguars
    - P7 W3 L4 F116 A146

Head Coach -- Doug Marrone

The current Superbowl champions Philadelphia Eagles come to London to face the regular "home" fixture for Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jags owner Shahid Khan has not been able to purchase Wembley Stadium but his side has been playing here for some years now. It's fair to say that the Eagles are not in the same form as they were on the way to winning SuperBowl LII with returning Quarterback Carson Wentz back in action and recent win against the New York Giants as well as last weekends defeat against Carolina 21-17 so they don't look like challenging this year. His opposite QB is Blake Bortles who is not having the same impact as last term recent losses to Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys before another loss last weekend against Houston Texans [20-7] which saw Bortles benched so a pair of sides out of form something has to give. 

We will aim to keep a brief summary of each quarter as the game progresses, should be a great start to this series of UK fixtures which will surely grow until we have our own regular season NFL franchise. 

Head Coach -- Doug Pederson

For those of you not coming to Wembley this Sunday afternoon pleased to confirm you can watch the match live on the BBC, it's on their BBC2 channel and sure that Nat Coombs will host with plenty of guests. Also ensure you catch all the build up and highlights of matches played earlier on their regular Saturday night NFL Show with Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora joining in the fun this season. Have a great day all.

1st Quarter;
The National Anthems are concluded, the coin toss is won by Philadelphia Eagles and they have deferred to allow Jacksonville to kick off and we are underway in London for the final NFL game in the UK for this season. Josh Lambo kicks to the end-zone so Carson Wentz will begin from the 25 yard line with their opening drive. 

Wentz throws a couple of poor passes and is nearly picked off early, however does pass to himself for a first down but is soon sacked and fumbles with the Jaguars recovering back to the 34 yard line after a penalty. Blake Bortles begins his first drive early in the game in good field position and running a few plays himself for the first down. They have to settle for a 51 yard field goal by Josh Lambo to open the scoring here. 

The Eagles begin their second drive of the opening quarter from their own 14 yard line, and they mark a little forward progress including a first down from Wentz who finds a gap and runs to the 37y line. Annoyingly another interception in the end zone this time and they fail to score once more. 

2nd Quarter;
Jacksonville start the 2nd Quarter on their own 10y line after Bortles is sacked and they have to punt away. After a few running plays fail they finally get moving with consecutive passing plays securing first downs by Nelson Agholor and Zach Ertz in the opposing half. Cannot make it count though and fail to find the end zone settling instead for a 31 yard field goal by Jake Elliott and it's all square at 3-3.

Jaguars start again from their own 25y line, passes to Cole and Chark takes them into the Philadelphia half again but another sack for Bortles brings on Josh Lambo for a 57 yard field goal, and he makes it to put them back in the lead. We really need some Touchdowns today as the two minute warning is reached for the opening half with the defences on top. The ball is picked off again on the half way line and the Eagles might have a final chance to score in this half with about a minute and half to play, tries to find Agholor but it's incomplete. Wentz runs himself to get a 1st down and with under a minute left they moving close to the field goal range in a poor first half for the offensive units until he throws to Dallas Goedert who runs into the end zone after a 32y pass and it's our first Touchdown of the afternoon the Eagles take the lead at half time. 

H/T Score;   Philadelphia Eagles  10 - 6 Jacksonville Jaguars.

3rd Quarter;
The Eagles kick off the second half, it's downed in the end zone so the Jaguars start on their 25y line behind by 4. Bortles throws a nice pass to the half way line for a first down and the half is moving a bit quicker but a delay due to injury to the Eagles Jalen Mills who has to go off. Bortles unable to move further forwards so the punt team send it to the 5yd line. 

Adams runs out to the half way line and the Eagles keep moving, do not look the same team that won the Super Bowl though but leading all the same. But an amazing run by Wendell Smallwood all the way to the end zone to extend the Eagles lead out of nothing. The following drive by the Jaguars sees Bortles finds tight end David Grinnage for 24 yards and eventually they find the end zone with Dede Westbrook for the touchdown but fail with the 2pt conversion to remain five points adrift 17-12.

4th Quarter;
The final quarter starts with the Jags on the 30yd line, but concede a penalty for 1st and 20 then move it on close to a first down once more. In good position to make this game interesting after a slow start. Dede Westbrook fails to complete twice while in the red zone, 3rd down and incomplete again so will to let Lambo kick another field goal to reduce the lead to just two. Carson Wentz quickly gets the Eagles moving and a 36 pass reception to Jordan Matthews it's not long till they are in sight of the goal once more on the 7yd line but more injuries for the Jaguars. Zach Ertz catches the pass and the Eagles score another touchdown. 

Jaguars back in the game with TJ Yeldon who receives a pass for a 37 yard gain, there have been a few penalties and an ejection but missed who that was. First and goal with 7 mins to go. They get the ball in the end zone but it's juggled and dropped by DJ Chark so that brings up 4th down and it's another field goal from Lambo to reduce the score to just six. 

We need another score. Doesn't look likely as they get the 1st down needed and successive knees means its all over I needed ONE more point gutted.

F/T Score;    Philadelphia Eagles  24 - 18 Jacksonville Jaguars.