When the Jacksonville Jaguars meet the Chicago Bears on Sunday in London, it will feature a matchup of former No. 1 overall draft picks, one looking to get his career back on track, and the other looking to stay on his current trajectory.
Trevor Lawrence , the 2021 top pick, finally snapped a personal nine-game losing streak when the Jaguars defeated the Indianapolis Colts last weekend.
On the other side, Caleb Williams, the 2024 No. 1 pick, has won his past two games and has three wins in five starts, matching Lawrence's entire win output of his entire rookie season.
Lawrence threw for a career-high 371 yards against the Colts, while Williams has a career-best 363 yards, tallied in a loss to the same Colts on Sept. 22.
Through five games, Lawrence has completed 93 of 156 passes for 1,100 yards, 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Williams is 107-for-170 for 1,091 yards, 5 TDs and 4 INTs.
Here are more important facts about this game.
How have the Jaguars fared in London?
The Jaguars have played 11 games in London , and they own a 6-5 record.
For the second year in a row, the Jaguars will play back-to-back games in London.
Last year, they defeated both the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills.
This year, they face the New England Patriots after the Bears game.
The first time the Jaguars played in London, it was a nightmarish 42-10 drubbing by the San Francisco 49ers at Wembley Stadium in 2013.
The Jaguars played seven games between 2013-19 at Wembley Stadium, then played for the first time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2021 after a 2020 overseas hiatus because of the pandemic.
The 2021 game was a victory over the Miami Dolphins, the first win of the short Urban Meyer era.
The Jaguars played the Broncos at Wembley in 2022, then played one game at each Wembley and Tottenham in 2023.
They are 4-5 at Wembley and 2-0 at Tottenham.
Have the Chicago Bears ever played in London?
The Chicago Bears made their London debut in 2011, against another Florida team — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Bears won at Wembley Stadium, 24-18.
Chicago didn’t make a return trip to London until 2019, when they lost to the Oakland Raiders 24-21 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
This will be the Bears’ third game in London.
When are teams arriving in London?
The Chicago Bears arrived in London on Tuesday.
“Just to get over there and get our clocks right,” head coach Matt Eberflus said earlier this week. “That’s the science part of it.”
The Jaguars arrived Friday after a slight delay due to Hurricane Milton, and will stay through the following weekend, when they face the Patriots at Wembley Stadium.
What are the key matchups?
Chicago Bears: Can the Bears' secondary stop emerging rookie superstar Brian Thomas Jr.? His combination of speed and great hands makes him a headache for whoever is trying to cover him.
Jacksonville Jaguars : Can the Jaguars' banged up and struggling secondary be able to stop WR DJ Moore? Moore had five catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears' win last week over Carolina. He could take advantage of one of the statistically worst secondaries in the league.
Jaguars, Bears history in London
Here’s a look at how the teams have fared.
Jaguars:
- Oct. 27, 2013: (L) San Francisco 49ers, 42-10, Wembley Stadium
- Nov. 9, 2014: (L) Dallas Cowboys 31-17, Wembley Stadium
- Oct. 25, 2015: (W) Buffalo Bills 34-31, Wembley Stadium
- Oct. 2, 2016: (W) Indianapolis Colts 30-27, Wembley Stadium
- Sept. 24, 2017: (W) Baltimore Ravens, 44-7, Wembley Stadium
- Oct. 28, 2018: (L) Philadelphia Eagles, 24-18, Wembley Stadium
- Nov. 3, 2019: (L) Houston Texans, 26-3, Wembley Stadium
- Oct. 17, 2021: (W) Miami Dolphins, 23-20, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
- Oct. 30, 2022: (L) Denver Broncos, 21-17, Wembley Stadium
- Oct. 1 2023: (W) Atlanta Falcons, 23-7, Wembley Stadium
- Oct. 8, 2023: (W) Buffalo Bills, 25-20, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Bears
- Oct. 23, 2011: (W) Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 24-18, Wembley Stadium
- Oct. 6, 2019: (L) Oakland Raiders, 24-21, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears in London: History, QB comparisons, key matchups
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