NFL: Eagles and Jaguars set to battle it out in N17

This will be the 14th time that an NFL game is played in N17, with the Jaguars becoming the first team to play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium four times, while the Eagles, who have an unbeaten 2-0 record in International Series games, come to London for the second time.

Nick Sirianni’s Philadelphia last played in the UK in October 2018, six months after beating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. As will be the case on Sunday, Jacksonville were the opponents for the reigning champions at Wembley Stadium, with the Eagles running out 24-18 winners.

The Jaguars, led by head coach Liam Coen, who have played in London every season since 2013 (bar 2020 due to the pandemic), will play in the capital for a record-breaking 15th time on Sunday. Their last visit to N17 was in 2024, losing 35-16 to the Chicago Bears

Banged-up Eagles looking to maintain perfect International Series record

Since their last visit to London eight years ago as defending champions, the Eagles have only missed the postseason once, won another Super Bowl (LIX) and have held a playoff berth in each of their five seasons under Sirianni.

Last season, the Eagles became the first team to win the NFC East in back-to-back seasons since 2004 and got off to a good start to the current campaign by winning their opening two games, but events in the past two weeks have altered their season.

Philadelphia travel to London in the aftermath of a narrow four-point home defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, where several starters suffered injuries, and their offense was shut out in the second half for the second straight week.

Ahead of their third-ever game overseas, the Eagles have ruled out four starters, including star running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring), one of the instrumental members of their Super Bowl triumph in New Orleans two years ago.

Barkley, who produced over 100 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on his first visit to N17 for his former team, the New York Giants, in 2022, did not practice at all before the team left for London on Friday evening.

First-choice receiver Devonta Smith, who, like Barkley, picked up a hamstring injury against the Rams, has also been ruled out against Jacksonville, creating more opportunities for young wideouts Makai Lemon and Darius Cooper.

Without Barkley, quarterback Jalen Hurts, a threat as a passer and runner, may be required to use his legs more than usual to help progress the offense up the field. 

Hurts ranks second among all quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns since coming into the league in 2020, finding the end zone 64 times on the ground in his 86-start career.

He threw two touchdown passes in last Sunday’s loss to the Rams, taking his tally for the season to seven.

Last time out against the Jaguars in November 2024, the Eagles’ number one passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns, and added a further score on the ground in a 28-23 win

On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Zack Baun is aiming for a fifth game in a row with a tackle for loss. A pro bowler in each of the last two seasons, Baun made his debut for the Eagles in their previous international game, a 34-29 win over the Packers in Brazil.

In that game at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, Baun starred, amassing 15 tackles and a tackle for loss in the first of 14 regular season wins for Philadelphia on their way to the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

Called by Vic Fangio, Philadelphia’s defense is particularly strong in the secondary. After winning Super Bowl LX with the Seattle Seahawks in February, cornerback Riq Woolen signed a one-year deal to join a position group with two players who were voted First Team All-Pro in 2025.

Woolen, who completes an elite trio with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper Dejean, broke up a pass last week against the Rams, which put him level with Denzel Ward for the most passes defensed (55) in the NFL since he came into the league in 2022.

Their matchup against a high-powered Jaguars pass offense is the battle to watch in north London on Sunday.

In-form Jaguars return to London looking to establish themselves as one of the NFL’s top-tier teams

Few teams have been more impressive than the Jaguars inside the first four weeks of the 2026 season.

In his second year as a head coach, Coen leads a team that sits second in the league in EPA (Expected Points Added) per play on offence, while only the Minnesota Vikings have allowed fewer touchdowns than their defense.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who will grace the field at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the fourth time on Sunday, is in the form of his life.

In his last five starts, Jacksonville’s number 16 has completed 65 per cent of his passes, thrown a touchdown pass, and posted a quarterback rating of over 100 on four occasions.

Since the start of the 2025 season, only Matthew Stafford (52), who was named the Most Valuable Player last year, and Josh Allen (52), who won the award in 2024, have scored more touchdowns than Lawrence’s 46.

In 2025, the 27-year-old found the end zone 38 times in total, which was eight more than his previous career high of 30 from 2022.

Sunday will be the Jaguars quarterback’s seventh start overseas, the most of all time by a player in his position.

Should he produce two touchdown passes against the Eagles, he will surpass former Jacksonville talisman Blake Bortles (nine) for the second most in International Series history behind Tom Brady (12).

A big factor in Lawrence’s success over the past two seasons has been their run game, which has been one of the league’s best and has taken a big weight off his shoulders.

Only the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, and Baltimore Ravens scored more rushing touchdowns than Coen’s outfit last season, and through four games this season, they are fifth in EPA per rush.

Second-year running back Bhaysul Tuten posted a career-high 91 total yards in their win over the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend and has reached 85 yards in three of the four games this season.

His running mate Chris Rodriguez is looking to score a rushing touchdown for the third week running and has scored in each of his past two matches against Sirianni’s Philadelphia.

On defense the Jaguars’ numbers are just as impressive. The unit, which is called by Anthony Campanile, is the only one in the NFL to have kept each of their four opponents so far under 20 points.

No team has produced more interceptions so far than their six, with cornerback Jourdan Lewis and linebacker Foyesade Oluokun two of just five players with more than one.

Oluokun was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a performance where he intercepted Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and also forced a fumble.

Only the Atlanta Falcons have allowed fewer rushing yards than the Jaguars, whose 53 points allowed puts them second in the NFL.

Exciting two-way player Travis Hunter has also played a part in their defensive success, pulling in his first interception in a key moment in their Week 3 win over the New England Patriots.

Last week, the second overall pick of the 2025 draft disrupted two passes from Burrow and had what would’ve been another interception brought back for a roughing-the-passer penalty on Arik Armstead.

The best game of the second-year player’s young career was in London last season, where he caught eight passes from Lawrence for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Rams at Wembley Stadium.

Finally, Jacksonville punter Logan Cooke will make history on Sunday by becoming the first-ever player to start 10 International Series matches.

For those attending tomorrow's game, click here to find the best way to get to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium