The Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) return home after a stellar victory over division foe Washington on Sunday by a score of 24-8. The defense was dominant for the Eagles combining for nine sacks of Carson Wentz, 2.5 of them coming from NFC Defensive Player of the Week Brandon Graham.
The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) come in after their own dominating victory on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers. By winning the game, the Jaguars broke a 10-game road losing streak, one which ran back to the final game in Oakland for the Raiders. A game in December 2019, which the Jaguars won 20-16.
Series Record
The overall series between these two teams is tied 3-3 with the series also being tied in Philadelphia 1-1.
Jacksonville Scouting Report
Offense
QB: Trevor Lawrence has started to show in recent games the reason he was taken as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft with six touchdowns to only one interception this season. The surrounding offensive weapons have been good for the Jaguars, and they are getting better as the season progresses for Coach Doug Peterson.
RB: Travis Etienne missed last season after a torn ACL in the preseason. With his return, he was considered the RB1 for Jacksonville. This far in the season, James Robinson has taken this mantle and run with it.
In Jacksonville's win against the Los Angeles Chargers, Robinson had his sixth career 100-yard game. This included a 58-yard TD run on fourth down to ice the game early in the fourth quarter. While Etienne has not been overly involved yet, his pass-catching ability and his connection with Trevor Lawrence mean he can explode at any time and remains a dangerous asset.
WR: Free agent signing Christian Kirk has shown in early returns why the Jaguars wanted him. With 18 receptions for 254 yards and three TD in his first three games, he has taken over the W1 role from Marvin Jones Jr. With D.J. Chark now in Detroit, it was important for the Jaguars to find someone Lawrence trusted to take over this role.
The Cardinals found something in Kirk when they moved him inside last season. Jacksonville has continued to utilize Kirk in this manner, and it has paid off in spades for the young team. Zay Jones is questionable for this Sunday's game, but the big target leads the team with 19 receptions. He and Kirk form the league's No. 3-graded wide receiver duo, according to Pro Football Focus.
TE: Evan Engram is a familiar name for the Eagles from his time with the New York Giants. He caught a two-point conversion attempt against the Chargers, but with the run game being the key and the wide receivers playing well, Engram's impact has been limited thus far.
Defense
DL: Folorunso Fatukasi and Harris Robertson anchor the front three in this 3-4 scheme.
LB: Josh Allen, the seventh overall pick in 2019, has continued to be a force in the defense.
On top of Allen continuing to play incredible football, he has also helped to mentor first overall pick linebacker Travon Walker and first-round draft pick Devin Lloyd at inside linebacker. This group is one of the best young units in the NFL and is a big reason the Jaguars' defense – under former Eagles linebacker Mike Caldwell – is once again returning to form.
DB: Young stars in Tyson Campbell at cornerback and Andre Cisco at safety lead a secondary that is certainly getting better after picking off Justin Herbert on Sunday.
Key Stats
2001 – With the 38-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, this is the first time since 2001 that the Jaguars have won two straight games by at least 20 points.
3 & 1 – Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham are the only NFL teammates to each record 3 sacks and at least 1 forced fumble this season.
25 & 100 – This is the first time in the Super Bowl era that both starting quarterbacks (Jalen Hurts and Trevor Lawrence) are 25 or younger and have a QB rating of 100+.
8 – The Eagles have allowed 8 or fewer points in back-to-back games for the first time since 2004.
12 – The Eagles rank second in the NFL entering Week 4 with 12 sacks.
45 – The Eagles' trio of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Quez Watkins is the only one in the league where all three receivers have each recorded a reception of 45+ yards.
48.9% – The Eagles have the second-best third-down conversion rate in the league on offense.
45.5% – The Eagles' defense ranks third in forcing the opposing offense to go three-and-out 45.5 percent of the time.
Key Jaguars Injuries
Four players are questionable for the Jaguars: linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson (ankle), cornerback Shaquill Griffin (hip), wide receiver Zay Jones (ankle), and offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen (hamstring). All four of those players were limited on Friday.
Marquee Matchup
The marquee matchup in this game will be Lane Johnson against Josh Allen. Johnson is one of the best tackles in the NFL, having not allowed a sack since Week 11 of the 2020 season. Josh Allen is quickly becoming one of the best pass rushers in the AFC, with 18 combined sacks, QB hits, and hurries this season.
