For the second consecutive week, the NFL’s excursion to London gave the fans at Wembley Stadium -- and the Americans up early watching at home -- a game that went down to the wire.
This time it was the Eagles who took a lead late in the first half, then withstood a comeback attempt in the second half, to win 24-18 over the Jaguars.
It was a game that nearly turned on a pivotal fumble by Eagles running back Josh Adams in the fourth quarter. The Jaguars recovered and appeared to be in excellent position to take the lead, but a replay review overturned the ruling on the field and said Adams was down before the ball came loose. It was a very close call, one that raises questions about whether there was really “indisputable” evidence for the league office in New York to overturn the call on the field.
The Jaguars did get the ball back after that, but the Eagles’ defense stopped them on fourth down, and then the Eagles’ offense ran out the clock after that.
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz got off to a tough start, with a fumble on the first driving and an interception on the second. But after that Wentz settled down and threw three touchdown passes. Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles was better than last week, but still not good enough to pull out the win.
The Eagles now reach the halfway point at 4-4: Not as good as the defending Super Bowl champions were hoping, but still poised to make a playoff run. The Jaguars, at 3-5, are a far cry from last year and have an uphill climb to the playoffs.
