We are now entering Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season and the Jaguars are headed international for back-to-back matchups across the pond in London.
The Jaguars first of two games in London is against the Atlanta Falcons. The Jaguars will also be considered the home team in this matchup at historic Wembley Stadium.
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This is the first time the Jaguars are hosting an NFC opponent at Wembley Stadium since 2018, when they took on the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Falcons-Jaguars matchup is the first of five international NFL games in 2023 and the first of three in London.
This is also the 10th year that the Jaguars have played a game in London as a part of the NFL’s International Series.
The Jaguars have played well at times in London with their four wins over there the most by any NFL team.
A change in scenery could be good for this Jaguars team that is hoping to right the ship after back-to-back home losses, featuring dismal performances by the offense.
The Falcons are also looking to bounce back as well after starting off the season 2-0, Atlanta took a step back last weekend falling to the Detroit Lions 20-6.
The last time the Falcons were across the pond was in 2021, when they beat the New York Jets in Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 27-20.
Atlanta’s head coach, Arthur Smith, is in his third season with the team after being hired for the job back in 2021.
Smith says the team embraces the opportunity to go and play in London.
“I think it’s awesome,” Smith said. “I mean the fact that we can play a game in London. The excitement. The crowd and the popularity of American football.”
Smith also says the way his team focuses and prepares will play a key role in getting his guys ready to go on Sunday.
Atlanta also returns quarterback Desmond Ridder in his second year. Ridder finished out the last four games of last season as the Falcons starting quarterback.
Both teams looked good at the beginning of the season and had high expectation, and now both are looking to get back on track this week with a W.
The Falcons run game has been one of the bright spots so far this season. Atlanta drafted running back Bijan Robinson out of Texas No. 8 overall in the draft and the rookie has not disappointed.
Robinson has 213 yards on 39 carries and a touchdown so far this season. He has also contributed to the receiving game as well.
This is Robinson’s first time taking the trip to London for a football game, and he says the offense’s point of focus this week was “physicality.”
“You know we have to come up in there and just play our brand of football. We didn’t do that on Sunday and Detroit took advantage of it, Robinson said. “We have some much talent on this team, and we play a physical brand of football. Just going up there and doing what we do and letting them feel us.”
Robinson says the mood in the locker room is just of guys looking forward to playing and getting a win in this next game against the Jaguars, rather than moping about the loss.
Robinson is also sharing the backfield with the Falcons other running back Tyler Allgeier. Allgeier has 135 yards on 38 carries and a pair of touchdowns.
The Jaguars defense has played well at times so far this season and they will have their hands full trying to slow down this Falcons rushing attack.
After the loss to the Lions, Ridder talked about the team beating itself and not reaching its full potential.
“Yeah, we were just shooting ourselves,” Ridder said. “Like I said, we weren’t starting on any of those drives. We weren’t able to get anything going, so I feel like you talk about it. It’ll never be — and a lot of teams talk about this, it’ll never be another team beating you, rather than you beat yourself and there’s a lot of times in our situations where we go out there and we beat ourselves and not play to our full potential.”
This might be the best offensive line this struggling Jaguars pass rush will have faced up until this point.
But the Falcons offensive line did struggle last week, the Lions defense brought significant pressure against Ridder, sacking him a season-high seven times throughout the game.
Ridder also struggled last week, completing only 55.3% of his passes against Detroit.
Look for the Jaguars to do something similar and try to get pressure on Ridder. The Jaguars defensive front is hoping to cause some havoc in the backfield after the team failed to record a single sack against the Texans.
Ridder knows that both teams are coming off poor performances and looking to get back in the win column.
“Obviously this defense we are about to go up against is going to be hungry, is coming off of a loss. Both teams coming in after a loss so we know there is going to be two hungry teams going against each other.”
Ridder says for the offense it is all about getting a good start.
“For us offensively you know went to start fast and you know keep executing, really not let them try to get any momentum and just keep that offense pushing.”
Ridder also spoke on Wednesday about everything knowing their assignment and playing as a unit.
“Staying within our reads, keeping the game simple. Just not trying to do too much. And everyone just do their job,” Ridder said. “We got to where one person tried to do too much or forgot their job here and kind of messes everyone up. So it really has got to be all 11 together playing as one.”
Smith was critical of how his offensive line performed against the Lions.
“I mean, obviously, when you’ve got some of the obvious drop backs, especially late, one or two of them. But some of them were on some actions, and they beat us off the snap, and it was right now,” Smith said. “And so again, whether that’s the crowd or whatever it is, we got to do a better job getting into that. We didn’t even get the play started.”
The Atlanta Falcons will also be without one of their top players for the foreseeable future. Linebacker Troy Anderson was placed on the team’s injured reserve this week.
On Monday, Smith revealed that medical examinations on the second-year linebacker “didn’t look good.”
It is being described as a shoulder/pectoral injury.
Anderson suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of the Falcons’ Week 3 road loss to the Lions. It is unclear how much of the season Anderson will miss but it will be a tough loss for the Falcons defense, Anderson ranked third on the team in tackles.
Nate Landman has played well in place of Anderson and will continue to fill that role.
“We have faith in Nate, but every week is going to change,” Smith said. “Depending on if there are any counter moves off that, that’s just — you hate it. That’s an unfortunate part of the NFL. It stinks.”
Falcons assistant head coach Jerry Gray was complimentary of Landman’s play on the defense so far.
“I thought (Landman) did a fantastic job,” Gray said. “When you look at the runs, our (defensive backs) watched the run plays and he was just hitting guys, and I was like, ‘Woah, that’s amazing.’ That’s what you want. You want linebackers coming downhill hitting guys. So you look at that. He had to step in for Troy and he made the best for him.”
One Jaguars player with some ties to the Atlanta Falcons organization is Jacksonville’s newest wide receiver, Calvin Ridley.
Ridley was drafted 26th overall by the Falcons in 2018 and spent his first four years with the team before being suspended for the 2022 season and ultimately traded to the Jaguars in November.
Smith says that trading Ridley to Jacksonville was kind of a “curveball.”
“That’s part of the job when you step into leadership positions,” Smith said. “There are things you account for and things you don’t account for, but that’s life. I’m always appreciative of the time I got to spend with Calvin. It’s good to see him back out there. Good player.”
Ridley is trying to go into the matchup like it is any other game, but he is thankful to the Falcons organization. He says the Falcons were able to give him a fresh start in Jacksonville after nearly two years away from football.
When it comes to some of the Jaguars coaches, Smith was very complimentary when speaking with the media.
“I got a ton of respect for Doug Pederson. Really enjoyed the joint practices we did last year. Doug is one of the guys I have looked up to in this league, a good coach. I got a lot of respect for them; I mean their whole staff. Mike Caldwell is a guy that nobody talks about who is a damn good defensive coordinator,” Smith said. “It’s a good scheme, they are certainly talented. They got size up front, heavy handed, physical defense.”
Smith says it will be a challenge switching focus to the Jaguars this week, but that’s what it means to be a coach in the NFL.
“Every week you get a new challenge,” Smith said. “Like I said, our guys are resilient, and this is a big game for us.”