Eagles-Jaguars Game Preview: Who Will Win in Week 5?
The Philadelphia Eagles will travel across the pond to “visit” the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Week 5. Following back-to-back losses and a week filled with roster changes, many are already declaring that Philadelphia’s season is over. Yet Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has called for his team to “lock arms” and fight through the adversity together.
While the Eagles appear to be spiraling out of control, the Jaguars are thriving. Jacksonville is currently 3-1 and possess the second-best point differential in the NFL at +51. The Jaguars have become a well-oiled machine under head coach Liam Coen with a record of 16-5 during the regular season since 2025. Yet could the trip to London and a bit of overconfidence be enough for the Eagles to catch the Jaguars off guard?
Here’s my game preview for the Week 5 matchup between the Eagles and the Jaguars.
Three Storylines To Follow
Can “The Replacements” Do Enough?
While the NFL isn’t dealing with a strike, the Eagles might as well be given how many starters will be out for the team on Sunday. Philadelphia will be without six Week 1 starters against the Jaguars in London, including five on offense. Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens and Marcus Epps won’t be playing for the Eagles in Week 5.
Therefore, the Eagles will be turning to “The Replacements,” similar to the 2000 sports comedy film. Due to injury, an unexpected retirement and a trade, Philadelphia’s offense will be leaning on several young players, including two players making their first career starts in the NFL. Jake Majors started a school-record 56 games at Texas, but he‘ll make his first start in the NFL on Sunday. Meanwhile, Willie Lampkin will likely become one of, if not, the smallest offensive lineman to start a game in the NFL.
Press Your (Turnover) Luck
The Jaguars appear to be an unstoppable force on paper with the team’s 3-1 record and elite stats, both on offense and on defense. Yet when you dig a little bit further, it feels like Jacksonville’s impressive start has benefited greatly from turnover luck. The Jaguars have allowed 13 red zone trips, yet they’ve only allowed a touchdown on 30.8% of those drives. They also lead the NFL with three takeaways in the red zone and have forced a league-high eight turnovers.
Meanwhile, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has thrown a turnover worthy pass on 6.7% of his attempts, which is the highest rate in the NFL. Yet he has somehow only thrown two interceptions. Guess who is second behind Lawrence in that rate? Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has thrown six interceptions in 2026, including two against the Eagles last week. We’ll see if the Jaguars can continue to win while pressing their turnover luck against the Eagles on Sunday.
“Remember Who You Are”
While Philadelphia’s offense is decimated due to injuries, the team’s defense doesn’t have that same excuse for their slow start. Despite boasting the talent that many believed would make them a top five unit, Philadelphia’s defense has underwhelmed in 2026. Therefore, it’s time for Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to hit his players with a few classic lines from the 1994 animated film, “The Lion King.”
“You have forgotten who you are, and so forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become,” Mufasa said to his son, Simba. While the former king passed away, he sent his son a message to help him find his identity and regain his confidence — instead of running from his problems. “Remember who you are,” Mufasa continued.
That’s exactly the message that Fangio needs to share with his defense ahead of Sunday’s game. While the Jaguars are receiving all of the hype following a 3-1 start, many are forgetting about the talent that Philadelphia’s defense possesses. What was once viewed as a consensus top unit in the NFL is now forgotten due to an underwhelming start. Injuries aren’t an excuse and the Eagles have more than enough talent to make Sunday’s game closer than many expect that it’ll be.
Two Underrated Players To Watch For
Dameon Pierce
Eagles third-year running back Will Shipley could get the start and lead Philadelphia’s backfield in snaps on Sunday, yet don’t forget about Dameon Pierce. The 26-year-old running back brings plenty of experience to the Eagles with 20 career starts and over 1,600 rushing yards across his first three seasons in the NFL. While Pierce has bounced around the league in recent years, Sunday’s game could be the opportunity that he’s been looking for.
Sirianni recently raved about Pierce during a press conference and seems excited to see what he does with the opportunity. “Of course, he’s an NFL starting running back,” Sirianni said. “I maybe wouldn’t have said that when he was on our practice squad publicly in fear of losing him, but he’s an NFL starting running back that was on our practice squad, and put his chest up, got his head up and went to work and was still the enjoyable person to be around on a daily basis. So, excited for his opportunity.“
Dennis Gardeck
Jacksonville’s defense is loaded with playmakers, especially on the edges. While Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker have formed one of the best edge rusher duos in the NFL, don’t sleep on Dennis Gardeck. The 32-year-old, undersized edge rusher went undrafted in 2018 and has stuck around in the league ever since. After spending the first seven years of his NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals, Gardeck initially signed with the Jaguars in 2025.
At 6’0,” and just 232 lbs., Gardeck doesn’t look like a player that is going to win off the edge. Yet he is able to win as a situational pass rusher thanks to his unique size, speed, effort and technique. Through the first four games of the regular season, Gardeck has recorded seven total pressures, including four quarterback hits for the Jaguars. Despite averaging 23.3 snaps per game in 2026, Gardeck has been able to consistently make an impact off the edge.
One Key Matchup To Monitor
Jalen Hurts vs. Foyesade Oluokun
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will have to carry the team to victory in London. Following an impressive start to the regular season, Hurts has underwhelmed in both of Philadelphia’s last two games. Luckily for Hurts, he’ll be getting back one of his favorite targets in veteran tight end Dallas Goedert on Sunday. Yet Hurts will have to be on point against Jacksonville’s defense, which leads the NFL with eight takeaways, especially when targeting Goedert in Week 5.
Jaguars inside linebacker Foyesade Oluokun wears the green dot for Jacksonville’s defense. Oluokun has played the second-most snaps for Jacksonville’s defense and has made the most of it. He is tied for the team lead with two interceptions and has also recorded two pressures in each of his last two games. Hurts needs to be aware of where Oluokun is at all times, especially pre-snap, as he has developed into a jack of all trades for Jacksonville’s defense.
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Final Score Predictions
Anthony’s Pick: Eagles 23, Jaguars 20
The Eagles are 7.5 point underdogs against the Jaguars in London. According to Deniz Selman, the last time that the Eagles were underdogs by this much was against the New Orleans Saints in Week 14 of the 2020 season, which was Hurts’ first career start (the Eagles won, 24-21). Everything says that the Eagles should lose this game, yet I believe that Sirianni and Hurts will rally the troops and pull-off an upset across the pond.
Josh’s Pick: Jaguars 27, Eagles 17
It’s unreal how much the Eagles have been bitten by the injury bug. Still, that’s no excuse for how anemic the offense has looked through 4 weeks. And you could argue Jacksonville is the most complete team the Birds have played up to this point. My heart wants to pick an upset but my head says this team still needs time to find an identity and get healthy.