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Who will the Jacksonville Jaguars play in London in 2024? Here's who we think and why
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- Who will the Jacksonville Jaguars play in London in 2024? Here's who we think and why
It was announced this week that the Jaguars would play another international game in London in 2024.
It will be their 12th game in the U.K.
They've played the 49ers (2013), Cowboys (2014), Bills (2015), Colts (2016), Ravens (2017), Eagles (2018), Texans (2019), Dolphins (2021), Broncos (2022), Falcons (2023) and Bills (2023). None were played in 2020 due to the pandemic.
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The Jaguars played in London twice in 2023 — both victories — in weeks 4 and 5.
The first was considered a home game against Atlanta at Wembley Stadium, and the second an away game against Buffalo at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) gets away from Buffalo Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard (43) and Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver (91) during an NFL football game between Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium in London, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
In 2024, the Jaguars will return to Wembley as one of their home games. That means they will play seven games at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville , and nine games on the road in the U.S.
In addition to the Jaguars, the Chicago Bears , Minnesota Vikings and the Carolina Panthers are set to compete in Europe. The Bears and Vikings will play at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while the Panthers will play in Munich, Germany.
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Here's the Jaguars' 2024 schedule, followed by my reasoning about which home game will be played in London.
Jaguars home opponents for 2024:
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Houston Texans (10-7 in 2023)
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Indianapolis Colts (9-8)
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Tennessee Titans (6-11)
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New England Patriots (4-13)
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New York Jets (7-10)
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Green Bay Packers (9-8)
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Minnesota Vikings (7-10)
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Cleveland Browns (11-6)
Jaguars away opponents for 2024:
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Tennessee Titans
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Indianapolis Colts
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Houston Texans
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Chicago Bears (7-10)
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Detroit Lions (12-5)
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Miami Dolphins (11-6)
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Las Vegas Raiders (8-9)
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Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)
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Buffalo Bills (11-6)
First, it should be noted that the Jaguars could potentially play two games in London, a home and an away game like in 2023, but for now, we'll look at their eight home games to speculate which might be the London game.
Also of important note:
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Any NFL franchise can decline to play a division foe in Europe as a home or away team.
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The Jaguars can protect one home game at EverBank Stadium from going to London.
Let's begin…
No Viking adventure
One team can immediately be eliminated as a London possibility — the Vikings — given they have been announced as another team playing overseas. The Vikings will play at Tottenham against an opponent TBD. Yes, it's possible the Vikings could play two games in London, but it's doubtful.
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That leaves seven possibilities: the Texans, Colts, Titans, Patriots, Jets, Packers and Browns.
Won't send them Packing
As referenced above, a team can protect one home game from going to London. In my opinion, that game would be Green Bay . Because of the team's history, fan base and allure, I can't imagine not wanting this game at home. It's a guaranteed sellout. The Packers have played in Jacksonville just four times ever, the last coming in 2016.
That leaves six possibilities: the Texans, Colts, Titans, Patriots, Jets and Browns.
Keep the rivalries at home
The Jaguars have to play all three of their division foes on the road and at home. With the AFC South improved and likely even better next year, I can't envision wanting to give up a home game against the Texans, Colts or Titans. Again, as mentioned above, a team can decline to play a division foe in Europe as a home or away team. Yes, the Jaguars have played division rivals Houston and Indianapolis previously in London, but there's too much at stake now, and they'd never face their most hated rival — Tennessee — in London.
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That leaves three possibilities: the Patriots, Jets and Browns.
Who will it be?
If the Jaguars had their druthers, I'd think they'd prefer playing the Browns in London. The Patriots and Jets have such big fan bases, you'd think they'd have no problem selling out EverBank Stadium. Especially with the Jets having the potential of Aaron Rodgers playing, I wouldn't think that game would be shipped overseas to be played at 9:30 a.m. Besides, the Jets are the most recent of the three remaining teams to have played in London, in 2021. They also played in 2015. The Browns' only time in England was in 2017. The Patriots haven't played in London since 2012, and played one other time in 2009. They've had more than a decade between European games.
Put all that together and who do I think it will be?
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My gut says the Patriots, but my brain says the Browns, so let's go with Cleveland. They played an entertaining game against the Jaguars this year and it could be a meaningful conference clash. It's also the more likely game to be shown at 9:30 a.m. We'll know in about four months whether I was right, or whether I missed the mark.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Who will the Jaguars play in London in 2024? We break down possibilities
