London (AFP) – Cam Little’s last-gasp field goal secured a remarkable 19-17 win for the Jacksonville Jaguars against Philadelphia in London on Sunday, while Green Bay enjoyed its biggest home win in years against fierce rivals Chicago. The Philadelphia Eagles looked to have won the NFL’s latest international game with a go-ahead field goal and just eight seconds on the clock, before Ameer Abdullah raced 53 yards on the kickoff return and was tackled to set up Little’s 57-yard attempt. Victory moved the high-flying Jaguars to 4-1, but compounded the misery for a Philadelphia side who threw away their lead to the Los Angeles Rams last weekend and are now 2-3.
“Oh my God, I don’t know, it was just a roller coaster,” said Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. “They kick the field goal, and there’s a little bit of time, so we’re talking about all of our last-minute plays. Then we break a return, and then we’re all like, ‘Go down, go down’. I mean, it’s pretty crazy.”
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The game — technically a home clash for Jacksonville, though a record 61,322 crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was overwhelmingly rooting for Philadelphia — began in chaos. Jaguars receiver Josh Cameron’s 90-yard kickoff return touchdown was nullified for offsetting penalties, while Jacksonville’s Bryan Thomas Jr and Philadelphia’s Jeremiah Trotter Jr were ejected from the game for a vicious fight at midfield. Parker Washington weaved through multiple tackles for a 51-yard Jaguars touchdown, emulating soccer star Wayne Rooney’s ‘shadow boxing’ celebration. Will Shipley, filling in for injured Saquon Barkley, levelled the score, rushing up the middle from two yards. Darius Cooper put the Eagles back in front with an explosive 62-yard touchdown.
After a field goal, the Jaguars took the lead with three minutes remaining as Washington grabbed a phenomenal one-handed diving catch. With regular snapper Ross Matiscik injured, Jacksonville’s Little missed the extra point, meaning Philadelphia seemingly required just a field goal to win. Jake Elliott made his 48-yard attempt with eight seconds remaining. But there was one more twist ahead. Philadelphia kicked the ball to Abdullah. He sprinted 53 yards and was tackled in bounds by Eagles cornerback Jonathan Jones with just a second remaining. This time backup snapper DaVon Hamilton got the snap briskly back to Little, who made no mistake. Victory in London was the Jaguars’ 12th win from their last 13 regular-season games.
Back in the United States, the Green Bay Packers thumped historic foes Chicago 31-7, as Jordan Love completed 25-of-31 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns. Christian Watson grabbed both TDs, including a sensational catch on a pass Love launched 60 yards through the air. It was the Packers’ most lopsided home win over Chicago since 2014. Missing the injured Caleb Williams, the Bears swapped backup quarterbacks mid-game, but could not right a troubled offense that gave up five turnovers.
The Minnesota Vikings continued their perfect start, reaching 5-0 with another blitz-heavy 23-13 win over the New Orleans Saints. Star receiver Justin Jefferson returned from injury to snag a superb touchdown catch under triple coverage. The New England Patriots and quarterback Drake Maye showed last weekend’s surprise win at Buffalo was no fluke, following it up with a 45-17 demolition of the Las Vegas Raiders. Maye, after a dreadful start to the season, was imperious with 26-of-34 passes for 374 yards and four passing touchdowns, plus a rushing touchdown.
And the Houston Texans emphatically snapped their winless streak with a 26-3 win over Tennessee. The hapless Titans sank to 0-5, as did the Miami Dolphins, who fell 31-24 to the Cincinnati Bengals.
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