London trending: Jaguars rarely cross the pond with a winning record but are 4-5 in the series

JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville Jaguars are heading to London on an early-season tailspin: two losses in a row, one understandable since it was a 17-9 defeat to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, and one inexplicable, a 37-17 rout to the nine-point underdog Houston Texans.

It’s not exactly a new experience for the franchise as they enter their 10th season of playing a home game in London.

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The Jaguars have gone to London with a losing record seven times in the previous nine years (London games were suspended during 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic) and went across the pond twice with a winless record: 0-7 in 2013 and 0-5 in 2021.

The only two seasons the Jaguars have gone to London with so much as a .500 record was in 2017 when they were 1-1 (the 44-7 victory over Baltimore was the earliest they had ever played a London game) and in 2019 when they were 4-4.

But no one, least of all the Jaguars, expected the team to carry a 1-2 mark to Wembley Stadium, where they will play the Atlanta Falcons at 9:30 a.m. EDT (FOX-30). Early injuries and breakdowns in all three phases, even in the 31-21 opening-game victory over Indianapolis, have caused a sudden and serious readjustment to the conventional thinking that this was a playoff team and a potential Super Bowl contender.

The big difference in this London trip is that it’s for two games. The Jaguars will play the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 8 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a designated home game for the Bills. Both the Falcons and the Bills have 2-1 entering this week.

Will change be good?

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson conceded that a change of scenery might work in the team’s favor. Since July 25 they’ve met, worked out, practiced and rehabbed at the Miller Electric Center, and played at home twice in the regular season and once in the preseason.

Pederson said it might work like the Jaguars preseason trip to Detroit when they had two good performances in the joint practices and then dominated the game 25-7.

“It’s a good opportunity,” Pederson said on Wednesday. “It’s like in training camp when we went up to Detroit. The guys are all in the same hotel, eating in the meal room, meetings ... we're doing everything together. Sort of one of those bonding-type experiences as a football team. It’s sort of reset maybe … regroup and try to get back on track.”

Outside linebacker Josh Allen said it doesn’t matter whether the team is in London or Jacksonville. There’s work to be done and attitudes to change.

“We’ve got to go out there to work,” he said. “Here, there, London, we go out there to work. It starts with our preparation and when we prepare the right way we go out and we prove to people that we’re one of the best in the league.”

The process of playing overseas

The Jaguars have been to London so many times there’s a narrative that they have an advantage over other teams. They’ve developed a practice and travel routine for game week and the players know how to adjust to the time change (five hours earlier).

Pederson said it starts with the initial day of travel and the first day in London. After that, everything settles into a normal game-weekend routine.

“The biggest thing is just handling the travel from Thursday night into Friday,” he said of the Jaguars’ schedule of practicing on Thursday, leaving for the airport, flying for six hours and arriving on Friday morning, London time. “Friday’s a little bit of a different day but we don't change much of the schedule. It’s understanding how to pack, how to hydrate, how to eat right, how to do all those things to take care of their bodies so that they're, they're ready to go on game day.”

Offensive guard Tyler Shatley, who has played in seven games in London, the most on the team with the Jaguars, said the initial travel day and Friday's practice, as the players are getting their biological clocks re-set, is the most difficult.

"Friday is just an absolute grind," he said. "Saturday is better and Sunday, you're ready to play. I think [the team] has given us the best formula anyone can get, giving the circumstances."

He said the second week before the Bills game will obviously be easier.

"You've already adjusted," he said. "It's not easier from actually playing them, but from a preparation standpoint."

The Jaguars are doing something right, for the most part. After losing their first two games in London in 2013 and 2014, they won four of the next six before dropping a 21-17 game to Denver last year.

The big difference this year is that the Jaguars are doubling up, with two games in London. But that also gives them a chance to see the city a bit more, with a day off after the Falcons game.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence will have his wife, parents, sister and grandmother at the game.

“Our schedule is pretty similar, but we’ll have a day to maybe explore, hang out … and kind of get your mind off it a little bit. We’ll have a day to kind of do what we want to do.”

Jags have held their own

Mostly because the London series has been played at a time when the Jaguars have posted losing records in seven of nine seasons, their opponents in those games have had a better record seven times and the two teams had the same record twice.

But all four of the Jaguars victories in London have been over teams who had a better record at kickoff. Three were by the margin of a field goal. Three of the losses have been by 14 or more points.

The Jaguars' two playoff seasons since 2013 have seen them play very good football following the London game. After routing the Ravens in 2017, the Jaguars won five of their next six games and the loss was in overtime to the New York Jets. The Jags were 8-5 for the rest of the season and finished 10-6.

Last year the Jags went 7-2 after the loss to Denver.

Oddly enough, the Jags haven’t played well in the next games after playing in London, despite getting bye weeks eight of nine seasons. Last year’s victory over the Las Vegas Raiders was the first time, the Jaguars won in the next game following a London appearance — and coincidentally, it was the first time the Jags were at home following the London trip.

Setting the London stage

2013

Opponent/records: Jaguars (0-7) vs. San Francisco (5-2).

Result: The 49ers won 42-10.

The next game: The Jaguars beat Tennessee 29-27.

The rest of the season: The Jaguars went 4-4 and finished 4-12.

2014

Opponent/records: Jaguars (1-8) vs. Dallas (6-3).

Result: The Cowboys won 31-17.

The next game: The Jaguars lost to Indianapolis 23-3.

The rest of the season: The Jaguars went 2-4 and finished 3-13.

2015

Opponent/records: Jaguars (1-5) vs. Buffalo (3-3).

Result: The Jaguars won 34-31.

The next game: The Jaguars lost to the New York Jets 28-23.

The rest of the season: The Jaguars went 3-6 and finished 5-11.

2016

Opponent/records: Jaguars (0-3) vs. Indianapolis (1-2).

Result: The Jaguars won 30-27.

The next game: The Jaguars beat Chicago 17-16.

The rest of the season: The Jaguars went 2-10 and finished 3-13.

2017

Opponent/records: Jaguars (1-1) vs. Baltimore (2-0).

Result: The Jaguars won 44-7.

The next game: The Jaguars lost to the Jets 23-20 in overtime.

The rest of the season: The Jaguars went 8-5 and finished 10-6.

2018

Opponent/records: Jaguars (3-4) vs. Philadelphia (3-4).

Result: The Eagles won 24-18.

The next game: The Jaguars lost to Indianapolis 29-26.

The rest of the season: The Jaguars went 2-6 and finished 5-11.

2019

Opponent/records: Jaguars (4-4) vs. Houston (5-3).

Result: The Texans won 26-3.

The next game: The Jaguars lost to Indianapolis 33-13.

The rest of the season: The Jaguars went 2-5 and finished 6-10.

2021

Opponent/records: Jaguars (0-5) vs. Miami (1-4).

Result: The Jaguars won 23-20.

The next game: The Jaguars lost to Seattle 31-7.

The rest of the season: The Jaguars went 2-9 and finished 3-14.

2022

Opponent/records: Jaguars (2-5) vs. Denver (2-5).

Result: The Broncos won 21-17.

The next game: The Jaguars beat Las Vegas 27-20, the first time they have won the next game following a London trip.

The rest of the season: The Jaguars went 7-2 and finished 9-8.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Tea for two: Jaguars double up on London games with a chance to reset