DENVER (2-5) at JACKSONVILLE (2-5) at Wembley Stadium in London
Sunday, 9:30 a.m. EDT, ESPN Plus
OPENING LINE: Jaguars by 2½, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Denver Broncos 2-5; Jacksonville 2-5.
SERIES RECORD: Jaguars lead 7-6.
LAST MEETING: Broncos beat Jaguars 23-13 on Sept. 19, 2021, in Jacksonville.
LAST WEEK: Broncos lost to Jets 16-9; Jaguars lost to Giants 23-17.
BRONCOS OFFENSE: OVERALL (23), RUSH (19), PASS (20), SCORING (32).
BRONCOS DEFENSE: OVERALL (2), RUSH (15), PASS (2), SCORING (3).
JAGUARS OFFENSE: OVERALL (7), RUSH (9), PASS (15), SCORING (T16).
JAGUARS DEFENSE: OVERALL (17), RUSH (13), PASS (20), SCORING (T10).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Broncos minus-1; Jaguars minus-1.
BRONCOS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Russell Wilson proclaimed himself ready to go in London after missing last week’s game against the New York Jets with a pulled hamstring. Wilson spent half of the team’s eight-hour flight across the Atlantic on his feet. “I was walking up and down the aisles,” Wilson said. “Everybody was knocked out. I was doing high-knees, working on my legs and everything else, making sure I’m ready to rock.”
JAGUARS PLAYER TO WATCH: Second-year pro Travis Etienne no longer has to share the backfield with James Robinson. Jacksonville traded Robinson to the New York Jets on Monday, clearing a path for Etienne to get the bulk of the carries.
KEY MATCHUP: Jaguars WR Christian Kirk versus Broncos CB Patrick Surtain. Kirk has been Trevor Lawrence’s top target, catching 32 passes for 458 yards and four touchdowns. Surtain, a second-year pro from Alabama, has quickly become one of the NFL’s top shutdown cornerbacks.
KEY INJURIES: The Broncos lost three more players last week who won’t play against the Jaguars: OLB Baron Browning (hip), CB Essang Bassey (hamstring) and RT Cam Fleming (thigh). ILB Josey Jewell, who has been banged up all season, was a limited participant in practice as he works his way back from a knee injury. … Jacksonville placed starting CB Shaquill Griffin (back) on injured reserve Wednesday and will count on Tyson Campbell, Darious Williams and Tre Herndon to handle the bulk of the coverage work over the next four games, maybe longer.
SERIES NOTES: Denver has won three of the past four meetings. The Broncos are playing in London for the second time and first since losing to San Francisco in 2010. The Jaguars are playing at Wembley Stadium for the eighth time in the past 10 years. They are 4-3 there. This one is much different than the others: the Jaguars are running the game and will get all the proceeds — ticket sales, concessions, parking, etc. It marks the first overseas game not run by the NFL. Jacksonville expects to make its most money of any single game in franchise history.
STATS AND STUFF: Both teams are trying to end four-game skids. … Wilson has thrown for seven TDs and four interceptions in two starts (1-1) against the Jaguars. He is off to the slowest start of his career, with just five TD passes and 20 sacks. Wilson had three TD passes in his only other game in London, against the Raiders while he was with the Seahawks in 2018. … RB Latavius Murray is making his second appearance in London this season. He ran for 57 yards and a touchdown in New Orleans’ 28-25 loss to Minnesota in Week 4. He signed with the Broncos after they lost Javonte Williams (knee) for the season. Murray scored his first TD for Denver last week. … WR Jerry Jeudy tied a career high with seven catches last week when QB Brett Rypien filled in for Wilson. … WR Courtland Sutton set career highs with nine catches for 159 yards the previous time he faced the Jaguars. … Rookie TE Greg Dulcich had six catches for 59 yards against the Jets. … Denver’s defense ranks first in the league in red zone efficiency, having allowed just four TDs when opponents reach the 20-yard line. … The Broncos rank second in the league with nine forced fumbles. … Denver’s 22 sacks are tops in the AFC, one ahead of New England. … LB Alex Singleton has had 32 tackles over the past two games while subbing for Jewell. … Jaguars coach Doug Pederson is 1-0 against the Broncos. … Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, coming off a 310-yard passing game, is the only rookie QB in NFL history to win a game in London. He threw for 319 yards and a TD last year against Miami in London. … Etienne is looking for a fourth consecutive game with at least 100 yards from scrimmage. … Jaguars LB Foye Oluokun has at least 12 tackles in each of the past two games. He’s the only AFC player with 70 tackles and a sack this season. LB Devin Lloyd has at least six tackles in every game this season and leads all rookies with 63 stops.
FANTASY TIP: Denver’s defense is worth starting since it hasn’t allowed 20 points in six of seven games. Etienne is a slam-dunk start now that Robinson is gone.
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