Sunday, December 22, 2024

NFL London: Jacksonville Jaguars fight back to beat New England Patriots 32-16 at Wembley

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The Jaguars have played in each London series since 2013 and this is the second year running they have played two games in the UK capital.

Last year they won both to spark a five-game winning streak, but last week’s return to London did not provide the same boost as Lawrence was upstaged by this year’s number one draft pick, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

This week Lawrence, 25, faced the man selected third in the 2024 draft, with Drake Maye making only his second NFL start for the Patriots.

And this time Lawrence came out on top, showing why he was considered a generational talent when he was the number one draft pick in 2021.

After the Patriots scored on their opening two possessions, Lawrence made a 24-yard pass down the middle to Christian Kirk before finding Thomas Jr to cap a 68-yard drive.

Lawrence earned a five-year contract extension worth $275m (£216m) in the off-season and he showcased his arm strength by passing long towards Thomas Jr, who plucked it out of the air for a 58-yard reception, and Bigsby punched the ball in to round off an 82-yard drive.

After forcing the Pats to punt, Washington then burst through the middle and streaked past the last defender down the sideline to claim a thrilling score and put the Jags in charge.

They opted against going for a field goal after a mammoth 11-minute drive during the second half.

But Bigsby’s late touchdown meant he finished with 118 rushing yards from 26 carries, and leaves the Jags hoping to get back into play-off contention after a late-season collapse meant they missed out last term.

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