The Jacksonville Jaguars will spend nearly a fortnight across the pond this fall, becoming the first NFL team to play two games in London in a season and doing so on back-to-back Sundays within the first five weeks. The Jags will face the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 1 for a Week 4 showdown and will face the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium the next week on Oct. 8.
Head coach Doug Pederson is embracing the extended trip to England, noting that it will benefit the team.
"It's a great opportunity for our organization," Pederson said (via NFL.com). "As you know, our owner Shad Khan really enjoys Europe and London. We have a great fan base over there. It's good for our team. It's good for our team to showcase themselves in the UK. We're excited."
Barring any major surprises, the Bills will be a playoff team once again, and Pederson knows how the Jaguars play against the top teams will be crucial to their development and overall success.
"We know Buffalo is tough," Pederson said. "They're one of the top AFC teams, and somebody that we look to. If we're gonna get to where we want to get to, Buffalo is one of those teams that we have to compete against."
Facing the Bills is never easy, but playing a Super Bowl favorite as the away team and not having to go to Buffalo is an advantage for the Jaguars.
"I'd rather play Buffalo in London than maybe in Buffalo at the end of the season," Pederson said. "We're excited about this trip."
The last time the Jaguars and Bills met was in November of 2021, when Jacksonville pulled off a huge 9-6 upset. The last meeting between the Jaguars and Falcons also came in November of 2021 -- a 21-14 loss for Jacksonville.
The AFC South team emerged as a competitive one last season, ending with a winning record and making the playoffs for the first time since 2017. It went from a 3-14 club in 2021 without those "must-see" games to a playoff contender.
The Jaguars have played the most games in London since the league began its International Series in 2007. With Pederson's leadership, quarterback Trevor Lawrence becoming more adjusted to the league and stars on both sides of the ball, these upcoming
