Live from Tottenham: Jacksonville Jaguars vs Chicago Bears

For the second-straight week, the unrivalled energy reverberating from over 61,000 British NFL fans engulfed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as the 3-2 Chicago Bears played host to the 1-4 Jacksonville Jaguars.

FIRST UP: Caleb Williams ⭐️
The Jaguars win the toss and choose to defer in London.#DaBears #DUUUVAL #NFLLondonGames pic.twitter.com/pL4gWw8uGS

— Decyfr Sport (@DecyfrSport) October 13, 2024

Amongst the overwhelming number of orange and blue jerseys, it was a small yellow flag that made its presence felt on the game’s opening kickoff – setting the scene for a game that finished with 10 penalties across both teams.

Now five-yards further from the end zone, 2024 first-overall pick Caleb Williams found himself seemingly suffering from the remnants of jet lag on his first drive in London – resulting in an immediate three-and-out, after a bone-crunching sack.

Well-acquainted with the hustle and bustle of London life, the Jaguars responded by putting together a formidable first drive of their own. Behind pin-point passes to Gabe Davis, Evan Engram and Brian Thomas Jr., Trevor Lawrence led the Jags’ offense on a 14-play effort that could only be stopped by an almighty PBU from backup safety Elijah Hicks, on third down. Nevertheless, kicker Ross Little sent the ball through the uprights to claim the first lead of the game – reminding everyone in attendance why the Jaguars are “London’s team”.

The slow start continued for the Chicago Bears who were yet again forced to punt, as Williams failed to escape a collapsing pocket. Fortunately for the masses of Bears fans in the stands, another collapsing pocket prevented Lawrence from adding to Jacksonville’s lead on the following drive – drawing a somewhat underwhelming first quarter to a close.

For Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears, however, the second quarter was by no means underwhelming. Between a pass to running back Raschon Johnson, a critical defensive pass interference call and a nifty scramble, Williams definitively shook off the aforementioned jet lag. Then, from 31 yards out, Williams found tight end Cole Kmet wide open down the seam, who – reminiscent of a player on Madden – trucked his way into the end zone.

But Kmet’s work wasn’t yet finished. In a historically uncommon turn of events, an injury to long snapper Scott Daly meant that Kmet was tasked with stepping in to snap the ball on the proceeding extra point – becoming the first player to score a touchdown and then snap the ball since 2005.

Speaking to reporters after the game, the tight end revealed that this wasn’t his first time in the position – saying: “Someone found out that I did it in high school. These guys know everything about you.”

After the Bears defense forced another three-and-out, the game’s momentum was well-and-truly with Chicago, who yet again found themselves progressing down the field. That said, despite his generational potential, Williams is not impervious to making mistakes, and the next play saw exactly that. An underthrown pass intended for DJ Moore ended up comfortably dropping into the hands of Jaguars safety Andre Cisco.

Speaking after the game, Williams recalled the interception: “I didn’t add enough juice behind it. I didn’t put it where I put it in practice. I need to be better.”

While a fair self-assessment, it didn’t take long for Williams to bounce back – and bounce back in a big way. With multiple huge runs and a dart to veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen, Williams immediately put the Bears back on the board – finding Kmet for his second TD of the day to give Chicago an 11-point lead heading into the break.

🗣️ “It’s up at the TOP, for sure!”

6x Pro Bowler, Keenan Allen, tells Decyfr why the 2024 Chicago Bears can be “REAL SPECIAL” 🤩#DaBears | @ChicagoBears @Keenan13Allen pic.twitter.com/QZAknAXImq

— Decyfr Sport (@DecyfrSport) October 13, 2024

If a comeback wasn’t already a longshot, the Jaguars ostensibly sealed their fate on the opening drive of the second half. Elijah Hicks – the backup safety who prevented a touchdown in the first quarter – recovered a fumble from tight end Evan Engram to get the fired-up Bears offense back on the field.

In no time at all, Williams found Keenan Allen for six points with a pass that the pair had been “working on since OTAs,” as Allen told reporters. And what’s the only appropriate way to celebrate such an accomplishment in London? According to the Bears, a traditional tea party in the end zone – orchestrated by star running back D’Andre Swift.

Despite being 18 points behind, Trevor Lawrence wasn’t going down without a fight – showing a glimpse of the indisputable talent that earned him his five-year, $275 million extension this offseason. After escaping the pocket to extend the play, Lawrence found Christian Kirk with a bullet to make the score 21-10.

On the following drive, however, two crushing penalties against the Jaguars allowed D’Andre Swift and the Bears to move the chains with ease – with Swift showing a dominant elusiveness reminiscent of Saquon Barkley’s performance in London for the New York Giants, back in 2022.

As the game ticked into the fourth quarter, the Bears found themselves comfortably within the Jaguars’ red zone. An opportunity Caleb Williams instantly seized – again connecting with “big brother” Keenan Allen for his fourth passing touchdown of the day. Not only is that the most by any rookie quarterback in an international game, Williams is now the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least three touchdowns and rush for 50 yards on British soil.

No stranger to pulling off historic comebacks, Lawrence was primed to overcome another 18-point deficit when the drive was derailed by a gut-wrenching mistake. On a pass intended for Christian Kirk, backup cornerback Josh Blackwell stepped in and brought in an interception – sending the Jaguars offense, once again, back to the side line.

If Bears fans weren’t already entranced by Caleb Williams’ performance, a moment of magic from the QB ensured they soon were. Demonstrating his youthful athleticism, Williams rolled out to his right – away from a prowl of pursuing Jaguars – to find an open Kmet for a first down. Whilst all watching the game – including Commissioner Roger Goodell – sat spellbound, Swift punched the ball into the endzone to give Chicago an impregnable 25-point lead.

A last-ditch attempt from Jacksonville resulted in a dart to Gabe Davis for six points. However, any faint smile on the faces of attending Jaguars fans was quickly wiped away, when a two-point conversion sailed out the back of the end zone.

Even a missed field goal from Chicago kicker Cairo Santos couldn’t dampen the spirits of Bears fans, who watched their defense put the finishing touches on their 12th-straight game holding opponents to 21 points or fewer – extending the league’s longest active streak.

As Jaguars fans quickly vacated the stadium, Caleb Williams lined up in victory formation to become only the second rookie quarterback in NFL history to win in London. When asked about the achievement, Williams told Decyfr: “It was great…being able to take that eight, nine-hour flight home with the win – it feels great.”

🗣️ “Taking that flight home with the WIN – it feels great!”

Speaking to Decyfr, Caleb Williams reflects on winning his FIRST-EVER game in London 🇬🇧#DaBears | @ChicagoBears @CALEBcsw @NFLUKIRE pic.twitter.com/cvWRmqiCVi

— Decyfr Sport (@DecyfrSport) October 13, 2024

While the 4-2 Chicago Bears now head back to the States ready to welcome in a well-deserved bye week, the Jaguars remain in London – hoping to salvage their season with a win against the 1-5 New England Patriots at Wembley, this Sunday.

For now though, the spotlight remains on the Bears – who after a torturous turnover of quarterbacks – can now revel in an exciting new era. The era of Caleb Williams.