In a game that featured plenty of questionable coaching decisions and miscues on both sides, it was the Jaguars who came out on top, beating the Eagles 19-17 on a last-second field goal in London.
The Jaguars only had that opportunity because the Eagles botched their late-game clock management and kicked a field goal of their own to take a 17-16 lead with eight seconds left on the clock. If the Eagles had managed the clock properly, they would have kicked that field goal as time expired.
But the eight seconds went like this: Jaguars kickoff returner Ameer Abdullah took seven seconds to return the kickoff 53 yards, and with one second left, Cam Little hit a 57-yard field goal as time expired.
The snap on the field goal was made by defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton, who filled in when regular long snapper Ross Matiscik was ruled out with a shoulder injury. The Jaguars had previously missed an extra point because of a high snap by Hamilton, but on the game-winner, Hamilton got the job done.
The Eagles’ poor clock management was the game’s final mistake, but the Jaguars made plenty, too: The Jaguars won even though they twice came away with nothing after having first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. At the end of the first half, they ran four straight plays from the 1-yard line: A run for no gain, two incompletions and a run for a six-yard loss as time expired on the second quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Jaguars had a truly disastrous series of plays that saw them get flagged for a false start, get two delay of game penalties, burn a timeout, and ultimately throw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-goal.
But Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington stepped up in a big way, scoring two spectacular touchdowns. Washington turned a short pass into a 51-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give the Jaguars an early lead, then he made a tremendous catch on a 27-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to give the Jaguars a go-ahead touchdown. Washington finished with six catches for 124 yards and was the best player on the field. In addition to his contributions on offense, Washington also had a great late punt return, staying up long enough to reach the two-minute warning, which helped the Jaguars run clock at a point in the game when it looked like it would be the Eagles who needed extra time.
It turned out to be the Jaguars who needed extra time, and they got it even though the scoreboard clock initially ran down to 0:00 before Little’s game-winning field goal. Replays showed the officials were correct to put a second back on the clock.
Matiscik wasn’t the only important Jaguars player to suffer an injury: left tackle Anton Harrison was carted to the locker room with a knee injury, and Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown suffered a hamstring injury.
The Eagles had injuries of their own: They lost running back Will Shipley, leaving Dameon Pierce as the only healthy running back on the active roster. An injury to guard Tyler Steen also meant the Eagles were down four of their five Week1 offensive line starters. Eagles safety Michael Carter was also ruled out, and linebacker Jalyx Hunt suffered what initially looked like a serious knee injury, but he refused the cart that had been brought out for him and walked to the locker room.
The game had an exciting ending but was a mess for much of it, but it’s the Eagles who are in a real mess right now: They entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations but are now 2-3 and facing major questions about whether their offense can ever get on track. The Jaguars, meanwhile, are 4-1 and look like they’re going to cruise their way to an AFC South title.