Carson Wentz threw for three touchdowns as the Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles won the final game of this season’s NFL London series.
The Eagles beat London regulars the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-18 in front of a crowd of 85,870 at Wembley, the most ever for a UK NFL game.
The Jaguars’ preparation was marred when it emerged that four players had been arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning after allegedly attempting to leave a nightclub without paying the bill.
On the field though, they started well, and took the lead through Josh Lambo’s 51-yard field goal, before Jalen Ramsey came up with a touchdown-saving interception in the endzone.
The Eagles levelled with the boot of Jake Elliot before a monster 67-yarder from Lambo restored the Jacksonville lead.
Right on half-time the Eagles took their first lead, with Wentz finding tight-end Dallas Goedert on a 32-yard touchdown play.
The Eagles then extended their lead midway through the third quarter, as Wendell Smallwood ran in from 32 yards to cap off a drive that had begun almost on their own goal line.
Under-fire quarterback Blake Bortles then threw for his first touchdown of the afternoon, finding Dede Westbrook, who did brilliantly to stay in bounds at the back of the endzone.
Myles Jack then came up with a huge sack on Wentz, before Westbrook’s punt return moved the Jags straight back into Eagles territory as the momentum swung Jacksonville’s way.
Lambo then reduced the gap to just two points, making it 17-15, with a 33-yard field goal at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Eagles had blown a 17-0 lead in the fourth against the Carolina Panthers last weekend, but when Wentz found Zach Ertz from five yards for a touchdown with ten minutes to play, a repeat looked unlikely.
Another Lambo field goal made it 24-18, but it should really have been closer, with DJ Clark juggling and then dropping a Bortles pass in the endzone.
The defeat leaves the Jaguars at 3-5 at the season’s midway point, with a mountain to climb to retain their divisional title and reach the playoff.
The Eagles meanwhile move to a level 4-4 in defence of their Super Bowl.
