The NFL will play in London for the third and final time in 2022 as the Denver Broncos take on the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The game pits two teams sitting at 2-5 against one another and each side will be desperate to pick up a win to ignite their respective season after four successive defeats.
The Broncos’ struggles have been more publicised given their offseason moves and preseason hype only to sit bottom of the AFC West. Denver have finished last in the division for two years running - but this is not the ride Broncos envisioned when they traded two first round picks, two seconds, a fifth and three players to acquire Wilson before signing him to a five-year contract extension worth $245 million.
Wilson sat out of the Broncos’ 16-9 loss to the New York Jets last Sunday due to a strained hamstring, but the veteran is back and has been confirmed as the starter by rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett. The 33-year-old was listed as a full participant as Denver practiced at Harrow School outside London on Friday.
Ahead of Sunday’s match, Mirror Sport has taken a look at the offences on display.
Wilson will lead Denver and the quarterback is off to the worst start of his 11-year career. He has completed just 58.6% of his passes (31st in the NFL) with five touchdowns and three interceptions to his name.
His 83.4 passer rating is also a career low as Wilson has failed to ignite the Broncos offence in the way many predicted. Part of his struggles can undoubtedly be attributed to a partially torn hamstring that held him out of Week 7 and a shoulder injury that requited work on October 7.
With a bye week upcoming, Hackett - who received a vote of confidence from Broncos general manager George Paton amid uncertainty surrounding his job security - said he considered resting the former Seahawk again but ultimately opted against it. As a result, Wilson is confident the team will click and build momentum.
As for the Jaguars, their feel-good vibes ushered in by new head coach Doug Pederson - Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles - after wins in Week 2 and 3 over the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Chargers are gone. They will hope the familiar setting of London will lead to a win; Jacksonville are gearing up to play their ninth clash across the Atlantic, and, since 2015, they’ve averaged 5.8 points per game than in the United States.
This is good news for sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick starred in two outings against the Colts as well as the remarkable win over the Chargers, but has otherwise struggled. In the other four games, Lawrence has finished with a completion percentage no higher than 57.1 while he has scored four touchdowns to eight interceptions.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Jags possess exciting talent in pass-rusher Josh Allen and linebacker Travon Walker, the first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. They could enjoy themselves against a stuttering Broncos offence, but it is the Denver defence that has truly impressed this season.
In fact, if Wilson was able to pilot a functioning offence, the Broncos would be firm contenders in a stacked AFC. Their defence ranks in the top five in total defence, points allowed, passing, sacks, red-zone touchdown percentage, big plays allowed and yards per play. Outside of their 32-23 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, this mean defence led by coordinator Ejiro Evero have held opposing offences to just 13.6 points per contest.
Denver has also allowed just seven touchdowns, the fewest in the league - and the fewest by a team with a losing record through seven games since 1999 according to NFL Research. This is a historic unit and British fans should appreciate what’s on show, although it might make for a disappointing offensive outing.
Regardless, sacks will be on offer. Fear-inducing linebacker Bradley Chubb, who has been linked with a trade away, remains on the Broncos roster and will look to add to the 22 sacks achieved by his defence against the Jaguars, who have allowed the joint-most sacks in the NFL.
Ultimately, a fifth straight loss would surely spell the end of any postseason hopes currently harboured by either team. Lets hope the passionate international NFL fanbase is treated to a spectacle in what is likely a season-defining clash for both the Jaguars and the Broncos.
