Eagles @ Jaguars from Wembley headlines NFL Sunday, live on Sky Sports
We are live on Sky Sports Action from 12.30pm for an hour’s build-up ahead of kick-off at 1.30pm. Here’s a look ahead to what you can expect as we preview Sunday’s quadruple-bill of football…
Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville Jaguars, Wembley, KO 2.30pm
Form guide
Not great. These two teams both went to the Conference Championship games last year, with the Eagles winning theirs and subsequently the Super Bowl. But, both are off to horrific 3-4 starts to the 2018 season. It’s nearing must-win territory at Wembley.
The Eagles have lost three of their last four either side of a blowout 34-13 win over divisional foes, the New York Giants. Prior to that, the Tennessee Titans edged them out in overtime and the Minnesota Vikings won another tight one, but the loss that will sting the most is their latest, blowing a 17-point lead over the Carolina Panthers to lose 21-17.
The Jaguars started the season impressively enough, earning a Week Two revenge win over the New England Patriots for that AFC Championship loss on their way to a 3-1 start. But their season has quickly gone south since with a three-game skid that has seen them ship a staggering 90 points and score only 28. Quarterback Blake Bortles paid the price with a mid-game benching against the Houston Texans last Sunday, but will start again at Wembley.
Stat Attack
This is the final of three NFL games at Wembley over consecutive weeks, with the Eagles making their London debut. After their Wembley bow on Sunday, 29 of the 32 teams in the league will have played an NFL International Series game in the UK, with the Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans the only ones yet to do so.
Key battle
Ones to watch
Is Carson Wentz clutch? Blowing a 17-point lead last week is no joke, but it may be a little too early to label last season’s QB wonder as a fourth-quarter bottle job. He may not have led the Eagles to victory last Sunday, but there has been little in the way of rustiness from the quarterback since his return from injury this season – according to PFF, he has the third-highest adjusted completion percentage (81.3%) in the NFL for 2018. Wentz’s No 1 target is undoubtedly Zach Ertz, who leads the Eagles in receptions (57) – the most in NFL history by a tight end through the first seven games of a season – and reception yards (618) this season.
As for the Jags, all eyes will be fixed on Blake Bortles, though not necessarily due to the strength of his 2018 showing so far. However, when last in London, he did throw four touchdown passes as the Jaguars demolished the Baltimore Ravens. Sticking with the demolition theme, disruptive defensive end juggernaut Calais Campbell is crucial to Jacksonville’s fortunes, as they look to return to the smash mouth football that made them a success last season. With that in mind, look out for Carlos Hyde – recently acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Browns – in the run game too.
Baltimore Ravens @ Carolina Panthers, KO 5pm
Form guide
The Ravens (4-3) have been more impressive than their record perhaps suggests, having lost two tight ones in the past three weeks to keep them in check somewhat in the AFC North. Baltimore lost to the Cleveland Browns in – yes, you guessed it – overtime, and were only an extra point away from leveling things late against the New Orleans Saints last week. Justin Tucker, of all people, with the miss – the first failed PAT of his career. The Ravens have the No 1 defense in the NFL though, best illustrated with a 21-0 shutout of the Titans sandwiched between those defeats.
The Panthers (4-2) have been sneaky good this year, going unnoticed under most people’s radar until now, their 21-17 comeback win over the Eagles last week particularly pricking the attention of observers. The Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants have also been disposed of, but Baltimore – and their stellar defense – represent their biggest test yet.
Stat Attack
The Ravens are No 1 in the NFL in scoring defense (14.4 points per game allowed) and total defense (280.6 yards per game) this season. The good news for Cam Newton? He’s 5-2 against top-five scoring defenses over the last three seasons. The bad news? This is Newton’s first game against the No 1 defense in the league since his Super Bowl 50 drubbing by the Denver Broncos.
Key battle
Ones to watch
These two quarterbacks have had their critics over the years, but are having much-improved showings in 2018. Cam Newton is on track for his best year since leading the Panthers to the Super Bowl in the 2015 season, while Joe Flacco, according to PFF, is on course for his highest grading for four years – thanks, in large part, to the increased number of weapons he has at his disposal in the passing game. John Brown, Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead have all arrive, and all had an impact so far this year.
Green Bay Packers @ Los Angeles Rams, KO 8.25pm
Form guide
You can’t get any better than the Rams (7-0), literally. They are the only undefeated team left in the league. They have racked up a staggering 235 points through the first seven weeks, second only to the Kansas City Chiefs, though their defense is more dominant than the AFC counterparts. They shutout the Arizona Cardinals in Week Two and have only once failed to put up 33 points on offense, a Week Six 23-20 win over the Denver Broncos.
Before the Rams came along, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers (3-2-1) were the offensive darlings of the NFL but, with Rodgers hampered by a knee injury picked up in a stunning Week One victory over the Chicago Bears, Green Bay haven’t exactly raced out of the blocks. However, Rodgers’ limitations make his achievements all the more remarkable, throwing 12 TDs to only one interceptions so far this year, while he has topped 400 yards in back-to-back games coming into this contest – a defeat to the Detroit Lions and win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Stat Attack
Todd Gurley has scored an incredible 22 scrimmage TD over his last 10 games, tied for the second-most in a 10-game span since the 1970 merger. Even more remarkable, Gurley’s 22 touchdowns since Week 14 of last season matches the total for the entire Packers offense over that span and is more than nine other NFL teams.
Key battle
Ones to watch
Todd Gurley is no doubt the standout player in this contest, arguably in the entire NFL. His start to the 2018 season has been simply staggering. But, don’t sleep on the Rams passing game as a result. Quarterback Jared Goff has picked up where he left off in 2017, and their defense is legit. There is no more disruptive defender in the game right now than Aaron Donald, who was utterly dominant in last week’s beating of the 49ers – just the nine tackles, four sacks and one forced fumble! As for Green Bay, the key – as always – is Aaron Rodgers. Given that he has not quite been as mobile this year due to that dodgy knee, the prospect of Donald hunting him down won’t fill him with glee.
New Orleans Saints @ Minnesota Vikings, KO 12.20am
Form guide
It was a Minnesota Miracle, Minneapolis Miracle. Whatever you want to call it, it was a simply spectacular moment in the NFL. And Sunday night’s match-up is the first meeting of the Saints and Vikings since Stefon Diggs’ sensational walk-off touchdown to win the Divisional Round playoff game between the two teams last year.
Since that heartbreaking loss, the Saints (5-1) have gone from strength to strength, winning five on the bounce following an opening day defeat by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The most impressive of those victories was undoubtedly the 43-19 hammering of the Washington Redskins in Week Five, in which Drew Brees became the NFL’s all-time leading passer.
As for the Vikings (4-2-1), the 2018 season hasn’t quite gone so smoothly – a Week Three loss to the lowly Buffalo Bills a particular blemish – though there are signs they’re now on the right track with three-straight wins, including a tough road win over the defending champs in Philly and subsequent successes against the Cardinals and New York Jets.
Stat Attack
The meeting between the Saints and Vikings in the 2017 Divisional round was the first playoff game in NFL history that ended with a game-winning touchdown on the final play of the fourth quarter. According to PFF, Minnesota had a 6.3% chance of winning the game before the play but only a 0.7% chance of scoring a touchdown.
Key battle
Ones to watch
It’s all about the wide receivers in this one. Stefon Diggs, the hero back in January, will no doubt be closely monitored by the Saints defensive backs this time out, but it is his wideout partner in Minnesota who has been the undoubted star of 2018 so far. Adam Thielen has racked up an NFL-equalling seven straight 100-yard games to start a season, matching Charley Hennigan’s feats with the 1961 Houston Oilers.
As for the Saints, Drew Brees – fresh off the back of his 500th NFL passing touchdown in last week’s win over the Ravens – will be looking for his No 1 target, Michael Thomas who, according to PFF, has hauled the highest percentage of catchable passes since 2017. Diggs and Thielen also make the top five of that list.
@PFF will provide a host of in-depth analysis throughout the season across Sky Sports platforms including our live coverage on Sunday and throughout our weekly build-up and reaction on www.skysports.com/NFL
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