Postgame
Well the third and final game in London is a blowout. British fans got to see sizzling play from Romo, Bryant and Murray, and after that, not a whole lot. There was some early excitement from the Jags but the flubbed punt by Ace Sanders really took the steam out of Jacksonville, who never recovered.
Thanks to all for reading - we’ll have much more NFL coverage this week, but for now, good morning, good evening and goodnight.
Cowboys 31-17 Jaguars, Final
Weeden takes a knee and the Cowboys two-game losing streak is history. They improve to 7-3 while the Jags fall to 1-9.
ONSIDE KICK! Cowboys 31-17 Jaguars, 1:51, fourth quarter
Jason Witten has it and the Cowboys will (try to) run out the clock.
TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 31-17 Jaguars, 1:53, fourth quarter
Denard Robinson runs left and pounds into the endzone - it’s his second TD of the game.
Then Bortles finds Allen Robinson for the two-point conversion. It’s a 14-point game. Seriously.
Warning...two minutes remaining
Really, it’s not a warning, it’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
In case you missed it, C.J. Spillman had an interception wiped out by a pass interference call by Jeff Heath, and that means the 72-yard INT return never happened.
When we return, Jacksonville have a 2nd & 1 on the the Dallas one-yard line.
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Cowboys 31-9 Jaguars, 2:18, fourth quarter
It’s 3rd & 13 now from their own 42 - Bortles running right has nothing going on. He chucks it up just for a laugh and Allen Robinson has no chance.
They go for it on fourth down and Bortles has a man this time - Nic Jacobs, a rookie TE has it. He’s short of the first down and there’s a flag. Defensive holding mean a first down.
You’re not still reading are you?
Then Robinson has a 31-yard completion that gets a roar from Wembly - or perhaps it’s a Bronx cheer?
Cowboys 31-9 Jaguars, 3:30, fourth quarter
Randle runs right on third down but he is short - Dallas will have to punt, their fifth of the day.
Brandon Weeden is in the game, so the Cowboys lead is basically guaranteed not to grow. Moral victory: Jacksonville. @LengelDavid
— Hunter Felt (@HunterFelt) November 9, 2014
You are very generous.
Cowboys 31-9 Jaguars, 4:14, fourth quarter
Weedon on 3rd & 8, throwing from the endzone, has a man - it’s Witten, just enough for the first down.
Cowboys 31-9 Jaguars, 5:14, fourth quarter
OK, finally we see Brandon Weedon, which makes a heck of a lot of sense.
Dallas are in the business of running out the clock here - but first they spend a timeout after a couple of short runs from Randle.
This game is one slow train.
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INTERCEPTION! Cowboys 31-9 Jaguars, 6:42, fourth quarter
Bortles has the Jags on the move in Dallas territory but then he throws it into the hands of Bruce Carter!
The pass was intended for Cecil Shorts who was hit very hard after the pick and he’s down. There’s a personal foul on safety J.J. Wilcox for his dangerous handiwork (leading with his head), and it will be enforced after the interception.
Dallas begin inside their won five-yard line.
SAFETY! Cowboys 31-9 Jaguars, 7:55, fourth quarter
Kyle Wilber is penalized on the punt from the endzone and that means wo points for the Jags. It gets better - Jacksonville get the ball back!
True. Jags get the free kick and start from their own 39.
Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, 7:55, fourth quarter
Romo is sacked on third down! Sen’Derrick Marks takes down the Dallas QB, and one more time - WHY IS HE PLAYING?
I mean, I don’t care, I’m not a Dallas fan, but surely there are some people in Texas wondering why their horse is still on the track.
Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, 8:59, fourth quarter
Bryant is back, so is Murray, so is Romo. Murray hits the 100-yard mark, again after a one-yard run.
Why is Romo still playing? Why isn’t the taxi squad playing right now? For the fans?
Dez Bryant
FOX TV reports he left the field to get an IV for cramping. So that’s a relief for Dallas and their fans. No word on Murray yet.
Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, 10:15, fourth quarter
More mistakes - offensive pass interference by Allen Robinson. They refs are discussing it further now, wasting everyones time.
Now they say there is no penalty, it’s just a plain old incompletion. What in the heck is going on down there?
When the smoke clears it’s 3rd & 7 and Bortles throws well short, for reasons we will never know. It’s complete, but for just one yard.
They’ll go for it. Bortles in the shotgun and throws incomplete! Even worse, it stops the clock.
Dallas ball on their own 11.
Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, 11:02, fourth quarter
Bortles is flushed out and runs right, fires and hits Shorts, who breaks free! It’s a gain of 32 yards and the Jags are at the Cowboys 15!
Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, 12:19, fourth quarter
Murray is being checked for a concussion on the sideline, and Bryant could be seen on the sideline wheeling away on the bike, while Romo may be done for the day.
Now Crawford has a sack! The Kilburn born, City of London school educated defensive end has a sack at Wembley, which must feel pretty good. Actually, Bortles fumbled in the play and the Jags recovered.
Now the Jags QB hits Jordan Todman for 12 yards to try and jumpstart this muted offense. They’re down to the Dallas 47.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are becoming the NFL's biggest obstacle in selling the sport overseas. @LengelDavid
— Hunter Felt (@HunterFelt) November 9, 2014
It ain’t pretty, this we know already.
Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, end of third quarter
DeMarco Murray walks off gingerly and Bryant is also in the lockerroom. So Dallas are a bit banged up, to what extent we are not sure right now.
It’s 3rd & 8 - Romo pump fakes once, pump fakes twice, has time and throws complete to Dunbar, short of the first down. Now Romo is getting up slowly after being hit by Davis after the throw.
That may have been his last play of the game...if it isn’t it should be.
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Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, 1:18, third quarter
Bortles is wrapped up on 3rd & 7! Brandon Carr has his first sack of the season and the ensuing punt is into the endzone.
Dallas takeover on their own 20.
Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, 3:20, third quarter
The bad news - Bortles is taken down by Spencer. The good news? It’s not a sack, rather, a gain of a yard. And how about that?
Now a penalty - Anthony Hitchens leads with his head and hits Allen Hurns, hard. It’s a personal foul on Dallas on a very dangerous play, just the type the NFL are trying to weed out of the game. Hurns is down momentarily.
The penalty brings Jacksonville up to the Dallas 46.
Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, 4:01, third quarter
The Jags force a 3rd & 11 - Romo, under center, has time and fires to Terrance Willliams in the endzone but it’s incomplete! Dwayne Gratz got a hand on it to help keep Dallas off the board on this drive.
Bailey is no good from 48 yards out and the Jags take over on their own 38. Hurrah!
REVIEW! Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, 5:04, third quarter
Yes, they reviewed the spot of the ball after a Jacksonville challenge - it costs them a timeout because the ruling on the field...stands. How is that for drama?
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Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, 5:04, third quarter
So Jacksonville start on their own seven thanks to an offensive holding penalty on the kickoff, which is ore great news for Jags fans.
Now we have a wave at Wembley as they try to kill time and have some semblance of fun. Good on em I say. Goose also does the wave on the sideline, reporting it live for FOX TV. Thanks for that - this is where we are at with this game right now.
Gerhart runs on 3rd & 1to the Jags 29. He’s short and they’re going for it.
Why not, right?
Gerhart is stuffed. They measure. He’s short.
Turnover. Another great advertisement for the game.
Dallas take over from the Jags 29.
@LengelDavid @HunterFelt at a certain point, UK fans have to become frustrated they cant get a match up worthy of their hard earned money
— Aram Mushegian (@arammush) November 9, 2014
Well, there is something to be said for that. I do think Dolphins/Jets is a strong rivalry game for next year.
TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 31-7 Jaguars, 7:34, third quarter
Joseph Randle breaks two horrific arm tackles on his way to a 40-yard TD RUN!
Somebody is getting cut on Monday, this is absolutely awful.
Cowboys 24-7 Jaguars, 8:25, third quarter
On third down, Romo has Escobar over the middle for 14 yards and Dallas are up to their own 33.
Murray runs for six (yards) and then has it again - running left with acres and acres of room for a gain of 21 to the Jacksonville 40. Where is the JAX D?
Goose
Tony Siragusa is interviewed by SKY Sports TV in the UK and embarrasses Americans across the globe with a bad accent. He got all the way to the end of the interview, which was solid and totally fine, but could not help himself.
Thanks Goose.
Cowboys 24-7 Jaguars, 11:07, third quarter
It’s the third, third down play on this drive - needing five yards, Bortles has time and has a man open in the middle of the field, but he throws behind Cecil Shorts and the drive stalls (womp, womp...).
Another Anger punt - a fair catch. Dallas start on their own 13.
Cowboys 24-7 Jaguars, 11:50, third quarter
Another 3rd & 1 - play fake - Bortles throws and hits Clay Harbor over the middle for a gain of eight! Ballsy play there on third and short but it pays off. Now the Jags are across midfield...
Cowboys 24-7 Jaguars, 13:05, third quarter
Bortles finds Ace Sanders for 10 yards before Toby Gerhart runs for a first down. A solid start for Jacksonville as they look to get their offense going in the second half.
We're back
Jags start at their own 20. Here goes nothing...
Stats
Tony Romo warmed up after his opening drive folly to put up 16/21 225 and three TD’s, two of which were to Dez Bryant, who had 158 yards on six receptions. Meanwhile, DeMarco Murray has 71 first-half yards.
Jacksonville’s key stat are the two turnovers, especially Ace Sanders’ punt drop that cost his team seven points and early momentum. Blake Bortles hasn’t had much to work with, but to his credit, he’s mistake free and 9/15 with 125 yards. Denard Robinson has 45 yards, a touchdown and a fumble.
Halftime scores
- Chiefs 3-10 Bills, 3rd quarter
- Dolphins 3-10 Lions, half
- 49ers 21-10 Saints, half
- Titans 7-7 Ravens, half
- Steelers 3-17 Jets, 3rd quarter
- Falcons 13-10 Buccaneers, half
Just in case you think you have this league figured out, the Jets break out on Pittsburgh and the Niners have an 11-point lead in the Superdome. What next? A miraculous comeback victory from Jacksonville?
Well, they get the ball to start the half...
Cowboys 24-7 Jaguars, halftime
The Jags run this thing into halftime to avoid it getting any uglier.
This Jaguars/Cowboys game is for diehard fans of teams pointing to indicate fumble possessions. #pointergate @LengelDavid
— Hunter Felt (@HunterFelt) November 9, 2014
It’s all so silly really, isn’t it?
TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 24-7 Jaguars, 0:19, second quarter
It’s Dez Bryant’s world! A 68-yard TD reception!! He fights off the first tackle, then streaks to the endzone, stiff arming Johnathan Cyprien before taking home his second touchdown of the game.
This guy is a complete and total animal.
Cowboys 17-7 Jaguars, 0:31, second quarter
What to the Jags do with the opportunity? Three and out...
Bortles looks for Harbor on 3rd & 3 but only finds grass. Another punt.
Ho hum.
Dallas have two timeouts...they are on their 32.
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FUMBLE UNDER REVIEW! Cowboys 17-7 Jaguars, 1:07, second quarter
Here is a messy play - Thomas hammers Cole Beasley after the catch and the ball is loose. The refs say it’s Jags ball...at first. Then they meet, have a chat, and decide the Jags keep it. So a big turnover by Jacksonville, stopping a Dallas drive - they take over at their own 23.
Updated
Warning - two minutes remaining
Romo hits Bryant for 16 yards to take us into the warning - he’s got four reception for 79 yards after a slow start.
FUMBLE! Cowboys 17-7 Jaguars, 2:35, second quarter
Robinson coughs it up and after they pull the bodies apart Dallas have it! And after that big play from Jacksonville that is an enormous disappointment for the “home” team.
Cowboys 17-7 Jaguars, 3:00, second quarter
Signs of life! Cecil Shorts with a big reception - 53 yards down the far sideline!
Now JAX are across midfield!
Cowboys 17-7 Jaguars, 3:59, second quarter
Bryant, again - a Romo play-action fake and a pass to the right sideline for 17 yards.
Murray for a yard and then a short pass to Witten sets up a big 3rd & 4 - the Jags need to make a play. And do! Murray has a pass from Romo but he’s wrapped up. Dallas kick it away.
Cowboys 17-7 Jaguars, 5:49, second quarter
Bortles finds Allen Robinson on the left for nine yards, he’s appealing for a face-mask call but won’t get it.
Three plays later, on 3rd & 9, Dallas bring the heat, forcing Bortles out of the pocket to his right - he throws it away and that means another Jags punt.
Nothing doing on offense for Jacksonville, and Anger punts it again - Dallas start from their own 30.
TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 17-7 Jaguars, 7:01, second quarter
Romo has lots of time - he finds a streaking Dez Bryant who has his legs working, moving down the sideline, then cutting into the middle of the field, BEATING EVERYONE! That’s a fantastic catch and run for Bryant, who is ELECTRIC!
Big play for Big D who are up 10. Huge drive coming up for Jacksonville who need to re-establish their offense right now.
Cowboys 10-7 Jaguars, 8:07, second quarter
Romo-Witten, again - this time over the middle for a 15 yard gain and a first down.
And there’s more - Murray has it on the ground, running left, a there’s big hole! Tweleve yards later it’s another first down and Dallas are on the move at the Jacksonville 37.
Cowboys 10-7 Jaguars, 9:47, second quarter
Bortles is a Cowboys Sandwich! Jeremy Mincey and Barry Church throw the Jags QB to the Wembley turf and Jacksonville will send on the punting unit.
Anger with another good kick - he kicks better when he’s angry, rimshot - and after a 52-yard punt Dallas will start from their own 35.
Cowboys 10-7 Jaguars, 10:45, second quarter
A big 3rd & 9 coming up here for Jacksonville and Bortles doesn’t like what he sees.
Cowboys 10-7 Jaguars, 12:11, second quarter
A couple of Murray runs later and it’s 3rd & 4. Romo is in the shotgun. Drops and throws off his back foot...incomplete! Demetrius McCray gets position and a hand on the football as Romo was looking for Terrance Williams. The Jags hold.
Ace Sanders has the punt this time, and provides speedy, safe 23-yard return. The Jags will start from their own 26.
Updated
Cowboys 10-7 Jaguars, 13:43, second quarter
Romo finds Dez Bryant who we hadn’t heard from yet today - his first catch makes it 3rd & 1 on the Dallas 35.
Murray races through the Jacksonville line for the first down. There’s no stopping that...he’s got 55 yards already.
Updated
Cowboys 10-7 Jaguars, end of 1st quarter
A little razzle dazzle from Dallas sputters out - Dwayne Harris’ end-around finishes with a two yard loss and that will do it for quarter number one.
Dallas have the lead thanks to the Jags ace putting them in a hole (rimshot).
Cowboys 10-7 Jaguars, 0:56, 1st quarter
The Jags are backed up to their 11 after a holding penalty by Luke Joeckel. They can’t convert on 3rd & 19 and will kick it away.
Fantastic punt by Bryan Anger saves Jacksonville from facing tough field position - Dallas start at their own 26.
Updated
TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 10-7 Jaguars, 2:30, 1st quarter
The Jags tighten it up in the redzone and force a third and goal. Romo is running, he’s forced out of the pocket...buys time, a little more and there’s Witten, who breaks free and has a TD RECEPTION!
The Jags had Romo on the run but came up short as Dallas capitalizes on the Jaguars mistake to jump right back on top in London.
BIG PLAY! Cowboys 3-7 Jaguars, 3:30, 1st quarter
Ace Sanders flubs the punt! Dwayne Harris has it for Dallas and now the Boys set up from the Jags six!
Oh, you can’t do that. No, no, no....
Cowboys 3-7 Jaguars, 4:36, 1st quarter
Romo hits Devin Street way down the far sideline! But he’s flagged for offensive pass interference! So that’s a good news, bad news play. The penalty stalls the drive but Romo throws well downfield.
A play later Dallas are punting.
Cowboys 3-7 Jaguars, 5:00, 1st quarter
DeMarco Murray is carrying the load for Dallas, a short reception and then a run for a first down towards the right sideline.
A false start penalty slows down Dallas, who are on their 27 now....Romo finds Witten just off the line of scrimmage for a short gain. Then Murray is gonna be caught behind....no he’s not, Murray breaks a tackle and makes a wide turn left and recovers for a gain of six.
It’s 3rd and 5...
Brandon Weeden
This is a key drive for Romo. If he can’t hit wide open receivers, it may be time to pull him for Weed-en. But let’s give him another chance, OK?
Oh hey Denard Robinson scored. This gives me an excuse to post this: https://t.co/IkfOexzm9O @LengelDavid
— Hunter Felt (@HunterFelt) November 9, 2014
TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 3-7 Jaguars, 7:36, 1st quarter
Here’s Denard Robinson with a hard cut, running right - he has space, he’s gonna go INTO THE ENDZONE! Tremendous slicing and dicing work through the swiss cheesy Dallas D - the man from Michigan puts the Jags on top!
Ya Gotta Believe! Right?
That’s an 80 yards drive on nine plays if you’re keeping score at home
Cowboys 3-0 Jaguars, 8:20, 1st quarter
In the shotgun, Bortles, drops back, has time, and finds Allen Robinson, who is absolutely everywhere, by the far sideline. So a big conversion there for the home team as the drive continues.
Cowboys 3-0 Jaguars, 8:20, 1st quarter
Bortles can’t get it together and has to burn a timeout.
Robinson takes the hand off on 2nd & 10 and runs left through a few tackles for a gain of four setting up a 3rd & 6 from the Cowboys 44 and now Dallas want to talk it over...what’s with these guys?
Cowboys 3-0 Jaguars, 8:55, 1st quarter
Blake Bortles hits Clay Harbor on the right side for five yards, then Allen Robinson scoots for three yards. On third down, Bortles finds Robinson who is hit immediately but has just enough for a first down.
Now Bortles has Cecil Shorts over the top for a big gain! It’s a 24 yard reception that has the Jags into Dallas territory.
Jacksonville are on the move...really!
Updated
FIELD GOAL! Cowboys 3-0 Jaguars, 12:09, 1st quarter
Dan Bailey is good from 54 yards out and the Cowboys strike first. Jacksonville will start from their own 20.
Cowboys 0-0 Jaguars, 12:13, 1st quarter
The Jags slow it up, and on third down on the Jags 36, Romo mises a wide open Jason Witten! There was no one within five yards of the Cowboys tight end, and, well, do ya think Romo’s back is hurting him?
Roger Staubach could have made that pass, and he’s 72.
Here comes the field goal unit.
Kickoff!
Here comes Tony Romo and the 6-3 Cowboys.
He hands off to DeMarco Murray who promptly runs off 23 yards. Then Romo hits Murray in the backfield and it’s another first down! This time it’s a 17-yard reception!
Swallow hard Jags fans - the Cowboys are at your 40, already.
Boris the tosser
Things you thought you’d never see, Boris Johnson hanging out with Tony Romo before an NFL game and flipping the coin. Oh, and he tried to keep it! Anyone surprised?
Jacksonville won the coin toss, which might be all they win today. They elect to kick it to Dallas.
National Anthems
Michelle Williams gets around. She performs a more than serviceable job with the American version, but it’s nothing compared to the job she did in Nigeria..just sayin.
Laura Wright performs God Save The Queen, well, as she has done before.
More Remembrance Sunday
A reading of the the Kohima Epitaph and a minute of silence, which is more than we usually get in the US where moment of silence, usually finished in roughly 15 seconds.
Kickoff is coming soon. Please standby.
If Romo's starting I don't have to make the impossible choice between Brandon Weeden or the Jaguars losing a game. Cowboys. @LengelDavid
— Hunter Felt (@HunterFelt) November 9, 2014
I’ll take Dallas 30-17, with the Jags keeping it close through three quarters before extended garbage time.
Here they come...
...your Jacksonville Jags! Like it or not, they’re now London’s team and they’re running on to the field with American flags and Union Jacks. They’ve also got the youngest roster in the NFL, and with a 1-8 record in the AFC South, well, there’s nowhere to go but up.
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Remembrance weekend
Always a much bigger deal in the UK, the NFL were wise to remember to include tributes to servicemen heading into 11 November during pre-game ceremonies that included Joss Stone. The NFL are dotting i’s and crossing t’s well in London.
The Jags
It’s your team London, for now. They’re coming once a year, and that means mascot Jaxson de Ville swinging from the rafters at Wembley in 2015. Jax are actually committed to the capital until 2016, and next time they’ll be playing the Bills on 25 October.
The afore mentioned Dolphins/Jets game is on 4 October, with the finale a match-up between the Chiefs and Lions on 1 November.
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Weather
Get this, it ain’t raining. Actually, it’s perfect weather for football American.
NFL Week 10 schedule
No London, it’s not all about you, there are plenty of other games this week.
Thursday
- Browns 24-3 Bengals
Early games
- Chiefs @ Bills
- Dolphins @ Lions
- 49ers @ Saints
- Titans @ Ravens
- Steelers @ Jets
- Falcons @ Buccaneers
Late Games
- Broncos @ Raiders
- Rams @ Cardinals
- Giants @ Seahawks
Night game
- Bears @ Packers
Monday
- Panthers @ Eagles
The Chargers, Colts, Texans, Vikings and Patriots are enjoying a week off, so please don’t bother them. In case you’re wondering, the bye weeks are all done after week 12.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the third and final game of the 2014 NFL International Series over at Wembley. By all accounts it’s been another raging success, so much so that the league as anted up for three more games, including the always juicy match-up between the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins.
That’s next year however - what about now?
Well, we’ve got the Jacksonville Jaguars, who come along with one victory and matte helmets, facing the sometimes mighty Dallas Cowboys.
First, before we begin, let’s spare a thought for the meager Jags, whose uniforms look much more colorful than their brand of football. Yes, they’ve scored 20 or more points in two of their last three contests, but, as usual they are overmatched - Vegas calls them 7.5 point dogs.
Dallas? Well, London is lucky to have what is arguably the biggest NFL club in their city this afternoon.
There’s something about that big blue lone star with the white line and blue boarder that illicit all sorts of emotions wherever it is seen. You may love them, you may hate them, but you will never ignore them, not if you’re an NFL fan - there’s always an opinion on Jerry Jones’ team from Big D coming from somewhere.
So haters and lovers stand side-by-side at Wembley today, wondering how the big question of the game will be answered - what can Dallas expect to get out of quarterback, Tony Romo, this week now that we know that he’s expected to start.
It’s a reasonable question considering pieces of two vertebrae chipped and fractured in his lower back two weeks ago against Washington, an injury that reportedly takes six to eight weeks to heal.
One thing we do know is that without Romo, despite all the heat the 34-year-old QB gets for a variety of reasons, including a glaring lack of post-season success, the Cowboys are just not the same without him. Without Romo spreading the field against Arizona, the NFL’s leading rusher, DeMarco Murray, failed to gain 100 yards for the first time this season. It had to happen at some point of course, but that Murray was limited during a game that Romo was on the sideline is no coincidence.
So, will Dallas snap back into form today? Or, can the Jags pull off the upset, which we know can happen on any given Sunday, on either side of the Atlantic. Stay with us to find out more.
For now, send in your predictions to:
or
david.lengel.freelance@theguardian.com
The punter who correctly predicts the score gets a cheque for $1,000,000 Italian lira, and bragging rights for at least a week.
Stand by for NFL action...
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