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Jaguars reach 10-year mark in London as team gets set to play Falcons
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- Jaguars reach 10-year mark in London as team gets set to play Falcons
LONDON — It might take some time to become an international showcase, but the National Football League and the Jacksonville Jaguars are headed on the right track to making American football global.
That bit continues Sunday when the Jaguars (1-2) take on the "visiting" Atlanta Falcons (2-1) at Wembley Stadium in London . The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN+, locally in Jacksonville on FOX30. It will also be broadcast in the first-ever 'Toy Story game' on Disney+.
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The matchup marks the 10th time the Jaguars will have played in London . The team has gone across the pond annually since 2013 except for 2020, which was canceled due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Jaguars president Mark Lamping, who is at the focal point of the team's presence in London, hopes to continue laying a foundation overseas.
"I think over the last 10 years, we've seen tangible benefits not only for the Jaguars but for the City of Jacksonville in the form of global awareness, as jobs that have come from the U.K. back to Jacksonville and also to the National Football League," Lamping told the Times-Union via telephone on Saturday.
Week 4 staff predictions: Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars in London
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Lamping noted that the number of American football fans in London has grown significantly over the last 10 years, and "some of that [is] due to our community outreach that we do 365 [days] a year in the U.K."
In speaking with a couple of the locals in central London on Friday, the excitement isn't necessarily bubbling as many people in Europe are — understandably — entrenched in their love for football, or soccer as we say in the United States.
A lot of the excitement does come in the form of an "event-like" atmosphere in London whenever teams do come to town.
And still, 10 years is a long time and the first step of outreach is getting people to know that American football even exists, and as one local said Friday, "maybe someday," the NFL will encapsulate Europe as other sports have.
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Some of that has already taken shape. Fans in London lined up outside of the team's walk-through practice Friday to watch the players and get autographs from them afterward.
The workshops and events the team has done around London have certainly allowed some to gravitate toward the Jaguars.
One fan at the practice said they became a fan the first year the team came over to London in 2013.
File - Jacksonville Jaguars mascot Jaxson de Ville jumps off the top of the stadium before an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022. The NFL has added games in Germany and has its eye on Spain. So it’s easy to overlook old standby Britain. London has been hosting games since 2007 and league officials remain high on the U.K. even as it scouts the continent for future host cities. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano, File)
"We see it firsthand in terms of how fans react to the game," Lamping said when asked about the growing knowledge of American football for fans in the U.K.
"They're no longer applauding a punt, which may have been the case 10 years ago and probably the other thing that is most easy to see is when we played our first game here, the entire crowd is a mosaic of all 32 teams and you begin to see that teal begins to dominate Wembley and we expect to see that again."
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Part of what underscores the importance of Jacksonville (Fla.) is the fact that the Jaguars play in London and play a major role in the NFL's quest to expand its league globally. For example, on Sunday the Jaguars will insert more than 100 of their own for the operations in Wembley, the second year in a row they've done so.
Jaguars outside linebacker Josh Allen, who has made the trip over to London on numerous occasions both for games and for other Jaguars-related events during the summer, has also seen the growth of the fandom their, saying in the locker room Thursday that the knowledge of the game is "evolving" for people in London.
"They start young," Allen said when asked about the growth in knowledge of fans in the U.K. "At first, when I went out there it was grown men, grown people asking the questions. I go back there now and it's little kids really wanting to be in tune with what's going on, how we prepare and what's the process of going through it."
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When asked about the fact that, for some locals, Allen is one of the first American football players they've seen in person, meaning he's had a direct impact on their potential fandom, the fifth-year linebacker is initially taken aback, never really thinking about that fact until now.
"I'm honored. Your favorite player is the first person you meet so if I'm their first person then I know I got fans all around the country and that's amazing and I want to play the game the right way, I want to lead the right way and I want to make sure I'm doing the right things," Allen said.
"So, just being able to go out here to a foreign country that I've never been in my life and teach the game that I love, that I've been doing since a young age, it's just amazing. So, I'm really privileged."
Still, while the growth in London has been evident, Jacksonville will "always be our home," Lamping said.
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"At the risk of a bad analogy, Jacksonville is the cake and London is the icing on the cake. So, there have been significant benefits that accrue to building a city and franchise. We've made huge progress over the last 10 years, and I certainly hope that that can continue to be part of our DNA moving forward.
"But, at the end of the day, it's really up to the National Football League in terms of what role the Jaguars play and any games we might play outside of Jacksonville."
Of course, it will also be up to the City of Jacksonville in some way as the London series could be a sticking point as the two sides — Jaguars and the city — negotiate on a stadium deal .
It should be noted NFL owners must approve contracts for the Jaguars to play annually at Wembley Stadium. Last year, the team received formal approval to move forward with a three-year contract to play a game at Wembley Stadium through the 2024 season. The Jaguars are the only team that will "host" a game at Wembley during that time.
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The team's second London game of this two-week series will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the Bills as the "home" team.
Ultimately, what Jaguars owner Shad Khan and the team have done through the 10 years at Wembley has been appreciated by the league, Lamping said.
"The learnings we've acquired over this period of time [is] transferrable throughout the league and this year is another important litmus test," said Lamping.
"We'll be over here for two weeks playing one home game and then one road game and our experience will benefit other teams as the league decides what is the best long-term strategy to grow the NFL internationally in particular here in the U.K."
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Setting the stage: Jaguars 4-5 all-time in London
The Jaguars-Falcons game will be recreated in Andy's Room from the 'Toy Story' films.
The Jaguars are one game under .500 all-time in their London series . Last year, Jacksonville fell to the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium. This year, the team is going to attempt to do something no team has done before.
"Hopefully the first team to win two games in a row here, I think we're the first team to play back-to-back games here if that's right. That would be great, that would be a success for us," Trevor Lawrence said Friday after practice at 'The Grove' just outside of central London.
Jacksonville will be the first team to play back-to-back games in London. The team will spend a total of 10 days in Europe (not counting travel time).
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"I think when we were here last year, we didn't play great. Personally myself, I didn't play great," said Lawrence. "Got to go back to the drawing board and right that wrong. I'm looking forward to the opportunity of getting to play again here, I know the team is."
The first task will be taking on the Falcons, a team that has impressed early through the first three weeks of the season.
Stopping the run a paramount vs. Falcons, Bijan Robinson
Detroit Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone (34) looks to tackle Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) during the first half at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023.
Though the Falcons' passing game has left something to be desired, their rushing attack is one of the best in the league and has been since former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith took over as the Falcons' head coach in 2021.
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This year has been amplified with the addition of standout rookie RB Bijan Robinson, who is ninth in the league with 213 rushing yards (5.5 yards per carry average). He has caught 14 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown thus far this season, too.
"It's a great run game, Bijan [Falcons RB Bijan Robinson] is a young, good running back who's got the ability to not only break tackles but go the distance," Pederson said Friday when asked about the Falcons' rushing attack.
"It's a ball-possession style of play and we challenge our defense all the time. You've got to be able to stop the run or slow it down."
His backfield mate, Tyler Allgeier , also is having a nice season. He has 135 yards rushing, two touchdowns, and 36 yards on six receptions.
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Robinson has 39 carries this season while Allgeier has 38.
Allen doesn't feel the team played well physically up front last week against the Texans and knows the team must flip their fortunes against the Falcons' heavy-rush attack.
"We know what this team is going to do. They're gonna run the ball. They want to be physical up front. So, in order to do what we have to, we have to be more physical. It's easy to say, but we got the guys to do it," Allen said Wednesday.
Calvin Ridley 'can't wait' to go up against former teammate A.J. Terrell
Dontayvion Wicks #13 of the Green Bay Packers attempts to catch a pass while defended by A.J. Terrell #24 of the Atlanta Falcons during the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia.
There's no question that Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley is looking to put on a show against his former team, even though that's not his direct motivation.
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One of the players Ridley will be going up against Sunday is cornerback A.J. Terrell. The two have had their battles in practice and now get to continue that on the gridiron.
"Oh man, he's a great corner. I remember the first time he came to the team, the first day he was already a good player. Man, we had some battles. We went at it and got each other better. I got a lot of respect for A.J.," Ridley said after practice Friday.
"I'm looking forward to it. Another opportunity, I can't wait to get better and go against a really good corner."
Terrell has quickly become one of the top corners in the league. Thus far this season, he's allowed eight catches for 60 yards and has had two pass breakups.
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In his career, Terrell has accounted for 30 pass breakups and four interceptions.
Jaguars looking for a bounce-back game vs. Falcons at Wembley Stadium
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) is tackled by Houston Texans defensive tackle Maliek Collins (96) and commits intentional grounding during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Houston Texans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 37-17. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville's offense put out a rough display the last two weeks, scoring just two touchdowns since Week 1 of the season.
The Jaguars have not gone over 17 points since their Week 1 victory over the Indianapolis Colts and the team's passing game has struggled mightily, averaging just 247.5 passing yards over the last two games, including 216 passing yards against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2.
Some of that has been due to a perceived lack of focus. In an effort to fix that, Jacksonville got back to the basics on offense a bit this week, focusing on the fine details.
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"I thought we had a great week of prep. A lot of energy, just continuing to stick to our process and just focusing on execution and the details, really studying our plan," Lawrence said Friday after practice.
"Especially on a week like this where you're traveling in the middle of the week, on Thursday we're leaving and traveling overnight to come over here, I think it's just more important than ever that you know your plan, you know all the details, you're prepared so you can go play free on Sunday and you're not thinking."
At 1-2, Jacksonville's offense is going to need to come up big if they want to leave their 'EuroTrip' completely satisfied.
Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson 'questionable' to play Sunday
Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson, left, is stopped on a run by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Myles Jack, center, and linebacker Josh Allen, right, during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
The Falcons listed just two players on its injury report this week including receiver Josh Ali (ankle), who is listed as out for Sunday's game against the Jaguars.
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Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson (thigh) is listed as questionable to play and has not played thus far this season. Patterson was listed as questionable last week but did not play against the Detroit Lions.
Jaguars will be without starters Zay Jones, Devin Lloyd Sunday
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (10), center, is tackled by, from left, Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris (95), linebacker Devin Lloyd (33) and linebacker Travon Walker (44) as safety Andre Cisco (5) looks on during the fourth quarter of a NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 17-9. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
The Jaguars enter Sunday's matchup with a slew of injuries, including to two of its starters, receiver Zay Jones on offense and linebacker Devin Lloyd on defense.
Second-year LB Chad Muma will take Lloyd's place on defense for the next two games.
The team is also keeping a close eye on receiver Jamal Agnew, who suffered a quad injury earlier this week. Friday, Pederson indicated that the team is "optimistic" with Agnew's progress, hoping he can play Sunday.
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Otherwise, rookie sixth-round pick Parker Washington will take over as the team's punt returner, while running back D'Ernest Johnson will take the role of kick returner.
"We have answers there, but if Jamal can't go, it's definitely a shot in the arm from an explosive standpoint in the return game," said Pederson.
That leaves some uncertainty regarding the next-man-up behind Zay Jones with Tim Jones potentially becoming more of a focal point along with veteran receiver Jacob Harris and perhaps Washington, who will be active if Agnew can't go Sunday.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars 'host' Falcons at Wembley Stadium, reach 10th year in London
