Quick Thoughts Before Jaguars' Week 5 Against Eagles: It's About Us

Oct 08, 2026 at 04:11 PM

by John Shipley, Brian Sexton, Kainani Stevens & John Oehser

JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser, senior correspondent Brian Sexton, team reporter Kainani Stevens and correspondent John Shipley offer quick thoughts on the Jaguars as they prepare to play the Philadelphia Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, United Kingdom on Sunday.

Oehser …

Run to win. The Jaguars are 3-1 leading the AFC South for many reasons, one of which is a steadily improving – and increasingly consistent – run offense. Remember? In the offseason? When fans bemoaned offseason personnel losses? Bemoan no more. Second-year running back Bhayshul Tuten and veteran Chris Rodriguez Jr. in four games have emerged behind an increasingly physical and offensive line, with the result being the Jaguars rank 11^th in the NFL in rushing through four games. Tuten continues to run consistently and be oh-so-close to breaking a long highlight run, and Rodriguez has given the Jaguars the power, physical runner they wanted when they signed him as a restricted free agent in March. The Jaguars focused this offseason on this area, believing they could be a more consistent running team and therefore a more balanced offense. Mission accomplished.
Better and better. The Jaguars since the beginning of last season have been among the NFL's most-overlooked defenses. It may be time to start calling them one of the league's best defenses – with no qualifiers. The Jaguars rank No. 2 in the NFL in points allowed, run defense and takeaways. And if ends Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker remain the unit cornerstones, nose tackle DaVon Hamilton and safety Antonio Johnson are rivaling those two as front-line players and inside linebacker Foyesade Oluokun continues to be as productive and consistent. That's real front-line talent – and in the last two games, cornerback Travis Hunter has begun playing as expected when the Jaguars selected him No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Bottom line: This defense is more than high rankings. It's a legitimate front-line defense that shouldn't be overlooked anymore. It's a huge reason the Jaguars continue ascending as one of the NFL's best teams.

Sexton…

The Jaguars can work to clean it up after 13 penalties.... but it might not help as much as you think. We're in a stretch of NFL history in which more penalties are being called than any season since at least 2000. Witness not only the Jaguars' 13 penalties in a 22-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, but the Bengals' 11 in the same game for a combined 233 yards. According to Sharp Football Analysis, we have seen the most penalties flags through four games since 2010. The penalties have nullified 17 touchdowns as opposed to five in 2025 through four games. Red-zone penalties against offenses have reached a historical level, too. Getting and staying clean will be a Herculean task this season, not just for the Jaguars.
Liam Coen's "AAA – Anyone, Anywhere and Anytime was created for this stretch. The Jaguars left Cincinnati with a hard-fought win over an AFC contender and leave for London for back-to-back games against the Eagles and Houston Texans. The NFL placed these games on the schedule to challenge a team perceived as rising to the level of a contender. So far, so good in what is thought to be the toughest stretch of the schedule, but it's a week-to-week league – and for the Jaguars to return from the UK 4-2 or 5-1 will require a level of focus we didn't see in London last season. The Jaguars left early in the week and to get accustomed to the time change while the Los Angeles Rams didn't arrive until Saturday afternoon. The Rams clobbered the Jaguars that day, which put the onus back on the quality of preparation versus the quantity and timing of it for the rest of the season. Hopefully the lesson was learned on the long ride home in 2025 and will benefit the Jaguars for both games in 2026.

Stevens …

It's not about them, it's about us. The Jaguars' Week 5 matchup against a depleted Eagles roster is not one in which the Jags can afford to underestimate their opponent. Philly will likely be down two or three starting offensive linemen, their star wide receiver DeVonta Smith and Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley with many others likely game-time decisions. That creates a significant challenge for Philly, but it doesn't guarantee victory for Jacksonville. The Eagles are just two years removed from a Super Bowl title and they know how to win. Coen's message during this practice this week was about looking inward. "It's not about them. It's about us."
Learning from last year in London. The Jaguars' only blowout loss under Coen came in London last October to the Rams. The Jaguars traveled several days early but looked lifeless and slow to start the game. Coen has stressed to his team this time around that the two games abroad are nothing more than a "business trip." The team will fly on a red-eye flight Thursday and practice as normal in the U.K. on Friday and Saturday. Keeping the routine as close to normal as possible for players and coaches should help eliminate any potential repeat of last year's lopsided loss abroad.

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Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars linebacker Ventrell Miller (51) and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad (37) during practice at the Miller Electric Center on October 7, 2026.