The Philadelphia Eagles are headed across the pond after a hectic week, and they will do it with a growing list of absences and a reshaped offensive line.
Philadelphia suffered its second straight loss in Week 4, letting a double-digit fourth quarter lead slip at home against the Los Angeles Rams. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles depleted offense struggled in the second half, and reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford was able to lead the Rams on a pair of late touchdown drives en route to a 24-20 comeback victory.
Since that defeat, there have been major shakeups along the Eagles offensive line. Franchise legend Lane Johnson abruptly announced his retirement on Tuesday, and the team followed that up a day later by trading two-time Pro Bowler Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens.
On top of the offensive line shuffling, the Eagles have also been dealing with key skill position injuries. Running back Saquon Barkley exited the Week 4 defeat after just two carries due to a hamstring injury, and wideout Devonta Smith was ruled out before the game with a hamstring injury of his own. They were among six Eagles who did not practice on Thursday, signaling the Eagles could be shorthanded once again this week.
On Friday, the Eagles ruled out Barkley and Smith with injuries. Barkley is one of the best backs in football. In 2024, he rushed for 2,005 yards in the regular season and last year eclipsed the 1,100-yard mark. Through three-plus games this season, Barkley is averaging 5.1 yards per rush. Smith has produced four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
With running back Tank Bigsby on IR, Will Shipley may be the next running back up for the Eagles. At wide receiver, Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon are second and third on the team in receptions this season.
Drew Kendall, who was expected to start for Jurgens, has also been ruled out of this game with an injury. Jake Majors will now potentially start at center, with Markel Bell taking over at right tackle.
Now, the Eagles will fly out to London and look to get back on track against one of the NFL’s hottest teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Head coach Liam Coen, quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Co. are 3-1 on the year with wins over the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals.
The Jaguars will enter this game at 3-1, winners of two straight games. The Eagles are trending in the other direction, sitting at 2-2 after two consecutive losses.
Some sportsbooks have this line as high as Jaguars (-8). The Eagles haven’t been underdogs to that degree since their 2020 season. The Jaguars have the second-best point differential in the NFL at +51, and they are well-coached, they score points, and they stop the run.
The Eagles and Jaguars will meet on Sunday, Oct. 11. Kickoff from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is slated for 9:30 a.m. ET, which is 3:30 p.m. local time in London. Eagles-Jaguars will air on NFL Network. Eagles icon Jason Kelce will be on the call with Dave Pasch, Kurt Warner and Molly McGrath. Fans in the Philadelphia market can also catch the game on 6abc. The game will be available to stream on NFL+, the ESPN app and other live TV streaming services.
NBC10 will air and stream pregame coverage, a game preview and a recap of the game. NBC Sports Philadelphia will get you ready for kickoff with Eagles Game Plan at 7:30 a.m. ET, Birds No Huddle at 8 a.m. ET and Eagles Pregame Live at 8:30 a.m. ET. Following the conclusion of Eagles-Jaguars, flip back to NBC Sports Philadelphia for Eagles Postgame Live.
The Eagles will not get a bye after their international game. Instead, they will head back to the Linc to play the Carolina Panthers at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 18.
