Report: Jags to host a home game in London in 2021

Per the Athletic, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons will be the NFL’s two home teams in their two games across the pond.

With their plans to play in London in 2021 (and beyond) uncertain, many Jacksonville Jaguars fans were left wondering if they would be getting a full slate of home games in North Florida this season. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case this season, per Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic.

With the league set to release its schedules for all 32 teams on Wednesday, Kaplan reported that the NFL is set to have two international games at Tottenham Football Club’s stadium. The Jags will be the home team in one game, and the Atlanta Falcons, who are on the Jags’ schedule, would be serving as the home team in the second game.

Kaplan also singled out the Miami Dolphins as an opponent for the Jags in London this season. They are a franchise that isn’t foreign to the NFL’s international series, taking part in four contests in London.

Aside from the Dolphins and Falcons, the Jags’ home schedule includes their three divisional rivals (Tennessee, Houston, and Indy), plus the Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, and Denver Broncos. Of the aforementioned teams, the Jags have played Houston, Buffalo, Indianapolis, and San Francisco in London.

The most interesting nugget of the Jags’ upcoming international game is the fact that it’s not being played at Wembley Stadium, a venue the Jags have a connection with. However, the league’s new international deal requires them to play at the new Tottenham Football stadium. With that being the case, it will be interesting to see how this factors into the Jags’ interest in playing at London when considering Shad Khan’s ties to Wembley Stadium.

Kaplan noted that the United States is on the United Kingdom’s list of countries whose travelers need to quarantine (for 10 days) and test (two times) once they arrive in the country. The rule even applies to vaccinated people. That said, it’s unknown if these travel restrictions apply to the NFL, but we’ll have more on that as the details come out.

Calais Campbell hoping 2 London games will give Jags advantage over opponents

Calais Campbell believes two games in London will be tough, however, it could also put the team at an advantage.

While the fans have sounded off (mostly negatively) about the Jacksonville Jaguars’ decision to move two games to London, the players on the current roster didn’t speak out on the matter. However, after doing an interview on Sirius XM Radio, Calais Campbell broke that silence as 2020’s trip to London will be his fourth.

As expected, the veteran admitted the trip would make things tough on the team but also added that it could give the Jags an advantage over whoever  the Jags face across the pond.

 

“It’s one of those things where it’s gonna be tough,” Campbell said to SiriusXM NFL Radio. ‘It’s gonna be a situation where you’re gonna be in a new place — we’ve been there before, we have some familiarity with it — it’s gonna be a little bit tougher. I hope that whoever those teams we play, we get an advantage over them.”

Campbell is right, if there is any good to come from this situation it’s that the Jags are familiar with the routine of traveling to London. Sure, that hasn’t been the case in their last two games in London against the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans, but those were two playoff caliber teams. Simply put, maybe they could have more success this time around if it’s a team that isn’t nearly as talented, or perhaps one that is coming off a week against a tough opponent.

As for the second game, the Jags could be at an advantage because they would have their initial trip over with while that might not be the case for the opponent. The key to playing in London is all about routine. That already puts the traveling team at a disadvantage as the Jags will be waiting in London. The opponents, however, would be on an irregular schedule.

While the Jags lost to the Texans during their last trip to London, maybe they should hope for two divisional games in the United Kingdom, which is unlikely. After all, they need every advantage they can get in a crucial year for the franchise.

Podcast: Discussions on Jags’ decision to play in London twice, hiring of Trent Baalke

James and Smith discuss the battle presently going on between Jags fans and Shad Khan after announcing an additional game in the UK.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars making a historic, yet, controversial decision to play two 2020 games in London, Jags Wire contributor Phil Smith and I recorded our first ever episode of the “Bleav in Jags Podcast.” Specifically, we discussed the  backlash that has come out of the situation as the fans haven’t been as receptive as owner Shad Khan stated they would be.

Afterward, we discussed the hiring of Director of Player Personnel Trent Baalke, who will be replacing Chris Polian. We explained his past successes and failures in San Fransisco and explained why he can help general manager Dave Caldwell, who is entering a make or break year.

Lastly, we discussed Calais Campbell winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, as it’s finally good to see him recognized for his hard work off the field.

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Media, Jags fans react to teams’ decision to move 2 home games to London in 2020

The Jags are going to have two games in London this season, and fans are not happy about it.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that they would be having two home games in London in 2020 Tuesday, which is an NFL first. While it’s a historic move for the NFL landscape, local fans clearly aren’t happy about the move. Ultimately, they are the ones who will have another home game taken from them and have taken to Twitter to vent their frustrations alongside with some members of the media.

Here are just a few of the reactions we’ve seen so far:

https://twitter.com/_tonycabrera/status/1224747713495019520?s=21

Obviously, it was hard to find positive reactions because fans feel another home game isn’t necessary as the Jags’ net worth has increased drastically since Shad Khan purchased the team. Last year, their figure increased from $1.95 billion to $2.075 billion, but in a league where the league is always trying to make bigger profits, it appears Khan wants to keep pace with his owner comrades. However, for a small market team, that may not be a goal worth chasing.

Another issue fans have with the move is the fact that Shad Khan hasn’t done his part in terms of winning consistently. He’s had just one winning season out of eight with a 38-90 record overall. With such terrible figures, fans and the city haven’t been given a fair chance to show the revenue they could generate over a decent period of time and a strong case could be made that they deserve that opportunity.

Ultimately, that opportunity will have to wait for at least a year as Khan has signed off on an additional home game in London for the upcoming season.

Jags to play 2 home games in London in 2020

The Jags are making a historic decision to play two games in London. Per the team, it’s a more simply based off economics.

In what will be an important 2020 season for the franchise, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be playing two home games in London the team announce Tuesday morning. According to their official page, both games will be back-to-back.

With two games occurring across the pond, the Jags also announced that preseason tickets would come at a 50 percent discount and also a smaller reduction on the team’s six regular season game.

“In 2020, Jaguars season ticket members will receive a 50 percent discount on preseason games and favorable variable pricing on the six regular season games that will result in an overall average ticket price reduction of 5 percent, representing a 15 percent savings off their invoice from last season,” said the Jags in their press release. “In addition, season ticket holders will receive a strong benefits package with features both new and improved that will be announced during the renewal process.”

The move is one fans have believed would be a possibility for several months now and it’s now official. The team has repeatedly stated that the move would be for economic reasons if it happened as their annual London game accounts for double the amount of revenue as their games in Jacksonville.

“Our work to create new sources of revenue to help us improve our long-term outlook and commitment to operating a thriving franchise in Jacksonville will continue and never end,” said Jaguars president Mark Lamping Tuesday.

With the Jags’ annual trip to London being such a game-changer for the team in the revenue category, the Jags have put a lot into their work across the pond since Shad Khan has been owner. In their statement, they added that the team could look to have a pair of games in London past 2020 due to the construction that is set to take place with Lot J, adjacent to TIAA Bank Field.

“For the past seven seasons, our London strategy has been a game-changer. No single approach, including London, will answer the many challenges that are common with any market the size of Jacksonville. However, playing two games in London at Wembley Stadium, where we have outstanding relationships, at least next season and perhaps in future years during construction, will help us bridge the gap between now and when we expect the Lot J development to open. Jacksonville’s potential is unlimited, and I am confident we can realize it, with the Jaguars serving as the catalyst.”

The Jags initially signed a four-year deal to play one game in London per year in 2013. They ended that process 2-2, losing the first two games to the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys and followed that up with a two-game win streak against the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts.

Afterward, Khan extended the Jags’ international deal through 2020. Throughout that process they’ve gone 1-2, defeating the Baltimore Ravens and losing to both the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans. Heading into 2020, that puts them at a 3-4 record.