The NFL’s annual London football series kicked off this past week as the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars crossed the Atlantic to face off at Wembley Stadium. Typically, this game brings with it a ton of excitement as the league continues to attempt to expand globally.
However, the Ravens’ trek across the pond did not go as planned. The Jacksonville Jaguars dominated the Birds in a 44-7 rout. The offense proved to be non-existent as the Jaguars defense answered the call Sunday. The Jags forced three turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble), and held Baltimore to only 7 points.
Additionally, the club limited quarterback Joe Flacco to 28 yards passing on the afternoon. On the offensive side of the ball, Jacksonville racked up 410 total yards. Quarterback Blake Bortles went 20/31 for 244 yards and four touchdowns. While the British fans paid for a marquee matchup at Wembley Stadium, the Ravens were simply manhandled.
Baltimore will return home to face their rival Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday at 1 pm. Pittsburgh is coming off of a tough loss to the Chicago Bears, and will look to rebound in Baltimore. Should the Baltimore defense answer the call and return to form, I expect this one to be a nail biter and come down to the final possession.
In Andover, the Redskins handled the Raiders in primetime. Washington halted an Oakland offense that put up 45 points in Week Two. The defense held quarterback Derek Carr and the Raiders offense to 10 points. Redskins’ scores came early and often as running back Chris Thompson jump started the offense with a 22-yard pitch-and-catch to put the ‘Skins up 7-0 in the first quarter. Tight end Vernon Davis then hauled in an 18-yard pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins, followed by a 52-yarder to wide out Josh Doctson. From there on out, it was all Washington. Final score: 27-10.
The Redskins will travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs next Monday night. Kansas City remains one of only two 3-0 teams in the NFL, and should prove to be a tough matchup for Washington. The Redskins will need to find a way to slow down running back Kareem Hunt, the NFL’s leading rusher, if they are to have a chance in this one. From the looks of it, we are in for another exciting football Sunday in Week 4.