Cam Little drilled a 57-yard field goal as time expired to give the Jacksonville Jaguars a chaotic 19-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Little’s kick finished a game that swung repeatedly in the final seconds. Philadelphia had taken a one-point lead on a field goal with eight seconds remaining, but Jake Elliott’s low kickoff was returned from the Jacksonville 8-yard line by Ameer Abdullah.
Abdullah broke into Eagles territory and was tackled at the Philadelphia 39 with one second left. Little then delivered the game-winner for Jacksonville, which survived a penalty-filled afternoon and two empty possessions from the 1-yard line.
Quick facts
- Final score: Jaguars 19, Eagles 17 in London.
- Cam Little made a 57-yard field goal on the final play.
- Jacksonville was penalized 13 times for 100 yards.
- Philadelphia finished with 22 rushing yards, its lowest total since Week 7 of 2015.
- Jaguars long snapper Ross Matiscik was injured in the first quarter, forcing defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton into emergency snapping duties.
The announced crowd of 61,322 saw trouble almost immediately. Jacksonville appeared to open the game with a kickoff-return touchdown, but offsetting penalties erased the score. Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Jaguars wide receiver Bryan Thomas Jr. were later ejected after an on-field fight.
Jacksonville repeatedly made life difficult for itself. The Jaguars reached the Philadelphia 1-yard line twice and came away empty both times, with failed specialty packages, a delay-of-game penalty and other execution issues contributing to the missed opportunities.
Matiscik’s injury changed Jacksonville’s special teams operation. Hamilton took over long-snapping responsibilities, and an errant snap after a go-ahead Jaguars touchdown prevented Little from converting the extra point.
The Jaguars also went for it twice on fourth down in the red zone rather than rely on the altered kicking operation. Their biggest offensive plays came before they reached that area of the field, as Parker Washington caught two long touchdown passes.
Washington’s most important score came in the fourth quarter, when he made a one-handed touchdown catch on fourth-and-5. That play put Jacksonville back in front before Philadelphia mounted its late response.
Philadelphia injuries mount
The loss was Philadelphia’s third in a row and came during a punishing stretch of roster disruption. The Eagles entered the game without injured running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver DeVonta Smith, after already losing potential starting offensive linemen Lane Johnson to retirement, Cam Jurgens to Baltimore and Drew Kendall to injury.
Philadelphia also lost running back Will Shipley to a foot injury after he scored the first touchdown of the game. Pass rusher Jalyx Hunt left on the final snap of the first half with ankle and knee injuries.
Despite the depleted lineup, the Eagles were strong in several trench battles. Jalen Carter recorded two strip-sacks of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the first half, although Philadelphia failed to turn either takeaway chance into points.
Carter was among five Eagles defenders with at least three pressures, and Philadelphia produced two goal-line stands that kept the game close. Jacksonville pressured Jalen Hurts on 54.8 percent of his dropbacks but recorded only one sack against an Eagles offensive line forced to reshuffle.
Jacksonville adjusted to Carter after halftime, holding him without a pressure in the second half. His double-team rate increased from 31.8 percent before halftime to 47.1 percent after the break.
The Eagles’ ground game never found footing. Their 22 rushing yards ended a run of 124 consecutive games with at least 40 rushing yards, which had been the NFL’s longest active streak entering Week 5.
Jacksonville improved its position in the AFC South with the victory, but its 13 penalties offered a major warning sign. The Jaguars became the first team since the 2011 Seattle Seahawks to win back-to-back games while committing at least 13 penalties in each contest.
For one Sunday in London, however, Little’s leg covered every mistake.
