LONDON – Let's get to it …

Chris from Jacksonville Beach, FL

Not necessarily a "must win" this weekend but certainly feels like a "can't lose" given the injuries to the Eagles.

The Jaguars will play the Philadelphia Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London Sunday, and I expect many observers see the Jaguars as overwhelming favorites and figure no way the Jaguars can lose considering a slew of issues – injuries and otherwise – to the Eagles. This is a fine and understandable view for observers, though not an accurate one and certainly not one shared by the Jaguars. Yes, the Eagles are injured at running back, wide receiver and along the offensive line. But this is a well-coached, proud team that has lost two consecutive games and has been hearing "noise" outside their organization in recent weeks. That is a formula for refocusing and playing with intensity – i.e., "circling" the wagons – and that makes a good, experienced football team very dangerous. Should the Jaguars win? Yes. And I believe they will win. But the Jaguars must play well to win, and I expect it to be far more difficult than many observers seem to believe. This is professional football, not the Southeastern Conference. Games are rarely easy, even if the circumstances beforehand suggest otherwise.

Oscar from Palm Coast, FL

Big O, I have to say, Liam Coen has been a breath of fresh air for this franchise. His leadership, passion and ability to get this team to buy into his vision have been impressive. Love this guy.

I guess you could call Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen "a breath of fresh air," though from this view that falls well short of his importance to the franchise. He is not only a high-end play-caller who I suspect is as good at putting offensive players in position to succeed as any current coach in the NFL, he also is a remarkably high-end leader with an uncanny ability to motivate. He also happens to be the right level of petty and competitive to make him very embraceable for the Jaguars' "us-against-them" fan base. When I say, "petty and competitive," I mean in the context of leading a professional sports franchise. I say pettiness not in a negative way, but to describe his never forgetting a perceived slight to the Jaguars and Jacksonville. Professional sports are entertainment – and while the stakes are high, professional sports are also about fun and Coen's pettiness/competitiveness in that context are gloriously fun. This is a guy doing what he is meant to do, doing it at a high level, and apparently having doing it. The Jaguars and their fans waited a long time for a coach like this. Do they love this guy? No doubt, as well they should.

Jadon from NC State

It is the time of year where you see all the "trade deadline candidates." Marvin Harrison Jr. is heavily featured this year. It is crazy to think how much is made of the draft. If the Arizona Cardinals offered us Marv for wide receiver Josh Cameron straight up, I doubt we take it. A once-generational prospect for a guy deep in the draft weeds. What makes Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone so good at identifying late and undrafted talent?

I don't know that Cardinals Marvin Harrison Jr. was quite generational entering the draft, though it's true that he's struggling in the NFL more than many draft experts expected. How is Gladstone good at identifying late and undrafted talent? Diligence, work, a system designed to accurately identify talent and match it to scheme. Start there.

Paul from St. Augustine, FL

Your answer regarding Travis Hunter's eye-popping improvement and fans' expectation of results RIGHT NOW also describes the Jaguars' development as a team under Coen, Gladstone and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence had shown improvement and stretches of high-level play in his first four seasons, but under the current culture he has had the longest-run of top-tier performance that it no longer feels like a "streak," but instead a sea-level change. Similar changes are being seen from players and units throughout the team.

I don't know if the career trajectories of wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and Lawrence are exactly parallel, but there is truth to the idea that players develop and flourish at time frames that do not always adhere to the "Must Happen Right Now or Cut Him Already" timeline of many fans and observers. I also don't know if Hunter has improved dramatically as much as he is beginning to play well in what essentially is the second half of his rookie season – a timeline that is very reasonable and normal. I do know that Lawrence's performance since the 2025 bye week has been more than a streak. It is, from this view, simply who he has become – a high-level NFL quarterback, just as the Jaguars have become a high-level team under Coen, Gladstone and Boselli. Those not seeing that at this point aren't paying attention. Indeed, this IS the fun stuff.

Jordan from Mandarin

I honestly think the Jags are going to pounce on this vulnerable Eagles team. I also think Eagles General Manager Howie Roseman will be watching Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and offensive coordinator Grant Udinski very closely for 2027.

OK, I guess, though Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni has never missed the postseason. That's really good everywhere except social media and television.

WILL from BARTRAM PARK

Why don't we use wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. on go routes more often? It seems like his best plays during his rookie year were when he was tearing down the field vertically – i.e., the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots game. It seems like in Coen's offense, he's always dropping the ball on curls and crossers. It has me wondering if maybe we just don't use him the right way in our offense and just let him run straight down the field?

Thomas has shown he can be really good running deep routes and catching deep balls. Coen is one of the NFL's best offensive young minds and ranks as good as any play-callers I have been around. My sense is he's using Thomas in the way that most benefits what by any definition is a very good offense. He'll probably continue to do that.

Nick from Palm Coast, FL

Now that you are in London do you miss your buddy, J.P. Shadrick? I'm sure over the years you two have shared a lot of pints there.

They still sell pints, so I'm muddling through.

Chris from Mandarin

So how exactly do the Jaguars prepare for a team with no offensive or defensive identity in the Eagles?

The Eagles have an offensive and defensive identity. The Jaguars have four games worth of video from this season with Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator and two-plus years worth of video with Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator. Mostly, the Jaguars prepared this week by focusing on themselves more than the Eagles. The Jaguars have reached the point that that makes sense. Stop worrying so much about the opponent and let the opponent worry about you.

Joshua from Lakewood

I think "running back link-placeholder-8" was the original title of a well-known REM song. Probably for the best they went with something simpler.

I laughed at this.

Fred from Naples, FL

Does the Dallas Cowboys losing on Thursday Night give the Eagles any more motivation to beat the Jaguars? I am not liking how this game is setting up for us.

The Eagles are 2-2 with two consecutive losses and need to win Sunday to avoid falling a game under .500 five games into the 2026 regular season. Three-game losing streaks aren't fun. They're perhaps particularly un-fun in Philadelphia. The Eagles will be motivated Sunday regardless of how the Cowboys fared Thursday.

Big Jags Fan from Jacksonville

Are you having tea and crumpets this morning so you are properly fueled for a long workday?

They still sell pints, so I'm muddling through.

Alexander from San Francisco

Hi John, I think a major underdiscussed part of Trevor's improvement is his increased ball security when getting sacked! It is night and day! Now, when he realizes he is most likely going to get sacked, you can see him switch into "protect the ball mode" rather than "try to be superman mode." Hats off to Trevor and Liam for this improvement!

You tend to lean on instincts when under pressure. One would expect a quarterback's instincts upon reaching the NFL to be what made you great enough to get to the NFL. Lawrence before reaching the NFL was gifted enough athletically to make great plays when under pressure. It took a while for him to realize that the risk of trying to be "superman" outweighed the reward. It's indeed among the many areas in which he has grown. Good on him and good for the Jaguars.

Aaron from White Hall, AR

This Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles is the most important game in franchise history.

Damned right.