Hurts Has a New Line and Missing Stars — Jacksonville Won't Wait for the Eagles
GOATIFYPhiladelphia is heading to London with a 2-2 record, two straight defeats and a depth chart that looks dramatically different from the one it brought into September. For Jalen Hurts, the Week 5 meeting with Jacksonville is not merely a chance to stop the slide. It is a test of whether an offense can preserve its identity while changing the people responsible for protecting the quarterback and catching his passes.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, are 3-1 and have given opposing offenses little margin for error. Sunday's game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will pit Hurts' improvisation and leadership against a defense that is creating pressure without relying on the blitz. Philadelphia has a path to compete, but it will demand more than a familiar rallying cry about the next man stepping up.
Hurts Has to Rebuild Trust With a New Offensive Line
The most immediate change is in front of Hurts. Lane Johnson's retirement removed a cornerstone at right tackle, and Philadelphia's decision to trade Cam Jurgens to Baltimore created another vacancy in the middle. Rookie Markel Bell is preparing for his second start at right tackle. The club also has a fresh question at center: Drew Kendall missed practice on both Wednesday and Thursday because of a knee problem.
That is not a routine injury shuffle. Protection depends on communication as much as size or talent. The center identifies looks, the guards pass off twists, and the tackles need to know when the quarterback expects the pocket to hold. When multiple jobs change simultaneously, an offense can lose half a second on a protection adjustment even if every replacement has the physical ability to play in the league. Hurts has to build that timing in a few practices rather than over a full training camp.
Philadelphia still has Jordan Mailata anchoring the left side, and the staff has alternatives across the interior. But an inexperienced combination cannot be judged only by whether it allows a sack. False starts, missed exchanges, hurried checkdowns and plays abandoned before routes develop are also costs. The Eagles' offensive line needs to keep the operation calm enough for the playbook to remain open.
Jacksonville makes that a demanding assignment. The Jaguars have produced 41 quarterback pressures without blitzing through four games, tied for fifth in the league. A four-man rush that gets home allows a defense to keep more players in coverage, which can turn an apparently safe short pass into a contested throw. If Philadelphia needs extra blockers on every important down, it will reduce the number of eligible receivers Hurts can send into routes.
The sensible response is not to pretend the old line still exists. Quick throws, clear protection calls, movement that changes the launch point and a credible running threat can all reduce the burden on a new unit. But those ideas work only if the Eagles avoid becoming predictable. The challenge is to make the ball come out on schedule without surrendering every opportunity to attack downfield.
The Injuries Are Reaching Every Part of the Passing Game
Hurts' problems do not end with protection. Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith missed both Wednesday's and Thursday's practices with hamstring injuries. Hollywood Brown remained out with an ankle issue, and Tank Bigsby is on injured reserve. Those absences remove established ways to threaten a defense: Barkley's ability to punish light boxes, Smith's route precision and third-down reliability, and Brown's potential to stretch coverage vertically.
Thursday introduced another complication. Dontayvion Wicks, who had taken on a larger receiving role while Smith was sidelined, appeared on the injury report as limited with a hamstring issue. Limited participation does not automatically mean a player will miss Sunday, and the final designations still matter. It does mean the Eagles cannot assume the same group that practiced earlier in the week will be available at kickoff.
There is a possible source of relief at tight end. Dallas Goedert has been limited while returning from a knee injury, and his progress could give Hurts a dependable option between the numbers. Tight ends can also help with protection before releasing into the pattern, an especially useful compromise when the offensive line is changing. Yet Goedert's status should be treated as a developing availability question rather than a guaranteed fix.
DeVonta's absence would be particularly costly in high-leverage situations. Since the start of 2025, he has amassed 511 receiving yards on third down, the highest total in the league over that span. Replacing that production is not simply a matter of assigning another receiver his routes. It requires a new answer when the defense knows a conversion is needed and the quarterback has only a narrow window to throw.
Darius Cooper, rookie Makai Lemon, Elijah Moore and Britain Covey could all have greater responsibility if the veteran injuries persist. Each brings a different skill set, but none can instantly recreate the chemistry Hurts has developed with Smith. The Eagles may need to spread the ball around more deliberately, use motion to clarify coverage and build completions that allow younger receivers to settle into the game. An offense can survive without its preferred stars; surviving without both familiar personnel and familiar rhythm is harder.
Jacksonville's Defense Turns the Leadership Talk Into a Real Test
Jacksonville is not arriving in London as a convenient opponent for an injury-hit team. The Jaguars have allowed no more than 20 points in any of their first four games, are giving up 13.3 points per contest and have nine takeaways. Their 3-1 record reflects a defense capable of forcing opponents into uncomfortable situations rather than simply waiting for a quarterback to make an obvious mistake.
Travis Hunter is part of that pressure. The Jaguars used him for all 71 defensive snaps in Week 4, a sign of how much responsibility the young cornerback now carries. His ability to challenge routes adds another complication for an Eagles receiving corps that may be relying on less experienced players. A quick pass is not automatically a safe pass when defenders can close space aggressively and tackle before the chains are reached.
Jacksonville also has genuine experience with the international setting. This will be the franchise's 15th regular-season game in London, and its previous 14 produced seven victories. Trevor Lawrence has accumulated 1,697 passing yards in international games, while the Jaguars' recent form extends beyond one promising September: from Week 11 of 2025 through the first four games of 2026, they went 11-1. Philadelphia, by contrast, is unbeaten in its two international regular-season appearances, including a 2018 victory over Jacksonville and a 2024 win over Green Bay in Brazil. Both clubs have reasons to believe the trip itself need not be a distraction.
There is a counterpoint to the gloomy matchup. Hurts has historically handled strong defenses well: against top-five scoring units, including playoff games, Philadelphia has gone 15-5 with him at quarterback and averaged 24.6 points. That does not guarantee a similar result against this Jaguars group, particularly with so many offensive changes, but it shows that the Eagles' quarterback has won difficult games without needing a perfect environment.
Hurts has spoken about the need for the group to come together, and this is where that message becomes measurable. Can the offense avoid giveaways when Jacksonville disguises coverage? Can it protect long enough on third down to move the chains? Can a young receiver make the correct adjustment when the initial read is covered? Those are practical questions, not motivational slogans. If the answers are positive, Philadelphia can turn an uncomfortable week into evidence that its offense has real depth. If not, a two-game skid could become a more serious early-season problem.
The Eagles do not need to recreate their Week 1 lineup to win in London. They need a plan that fits the players who are actually available on Sunday, and they need Hurts to execute it without exposing an unsettled offensive line to unnecessary risks. Friday's final injury updates will determine how severe the personnel squeeze becomes, particularly at receiver and center.
Jacksonville's defense and familiarity with London make this a demanding test. Philadelphia's best response would be a composed, efficient game that keeps the ball away from a takeaway-hungry opponent and gives its replacements manageable jobs. That is what the next-man-up mentality has to look like on the field.
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