October 09, 2026
Eric Hartline/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A trip to London won't be an escape from Jalen Hurts' and the Eagles' problems this week.
The Eagles' injury list keeps growing, their offense looks like it's back to going backwards, Lane Johnson retired, and Cam Jurgens got traded.
It's a brutal week for the Birds heading toward a matchup with the 3-1 Jacksonville Jaguars this Sunday, which also requires a flight to London.
But will the Eagles find a way anyway? Or is this week more about just avoiding an international embarrassment?
Here are our staff's picks and predictions for Week 5 in London...
| Sportsbook | Spread | Money Line | Total O/U |
| DraftKings | JAX -7.5 | PHI +275 JAX -345 | 41.5 |
| FanDuel | JAX -7.5 | PHI +295 JAX -370 | 41.5 |
| BetRivers | JAX -8 | PHI +325 JAX -435 | 41.5 |
| BetMGM | JAX -7.5 | PHI +290 JAX -375 | 41.5 |
| Caesars | JAX -7.5 | PHI +295 JAX -380 | 42 |
*Lines as of Thursday, Oct. 8
Some sportsbooks have this line as high as Jaguars (-8). The Eagles haven't been underdogs to that degree since their miserable 2020 season. The 2026 Eagles are trending in that direction. They can't block anyone, they can't run it, and although their defense has been good at times, "good at times" falls well below preseason expectations. Oh, and they just lost Lane Johnson to retirement, they traded Cam Jurgens, and they have a laundry list of other significant injuries.
Meanwhile this Jaguars team is light on big-name players, but they are well-coached, they score points, and they stop the run. They have the second-best point differential in the NFL at +51. If you're an Eagles fan traveling to London, I hope you have other additional fun things planned.
MORE: Last year's Jaguars are who this year's Eagles hope to be
Was it me who picked the Eagles to prevail against the Rams in Week 4? Sure looked like a genius for about 51 minutes of game action – and a total doofus for the last nine. The Birds will not make a doofus of me again. They have far too many injuries, far too much of an identity crisis and not enough time to right all their wrongs before they get to London to face arguably a top-five NFL team in the Jags.
It's possible that over time the Eagles can stabilize themselves and still win an NFC East that once again leaves a lot to be desired, but you know the expression – before things can get better, it has to hit rock bottom first. And I anticipate Sunday across the pond being rock bottom.
The Eagles could be playing the Dolphins or the Browns and I'd pick them to get demolished here. Maybe their season isn't over. Maybe Howie Roseman isn't selling after four weeks of games and a 2-2 record. But tell me how a football team – that just saw their best player unexpectedly retire, and another mainstay starter get shockingly traded – gets onto an airplane for eight hours, plays in a time zone five hours away from home, and against a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations can possibly look good Sunday morning.
As word of Saquon Barkley's "week-to-week" status and Tank Bigsby's need for core muscle surgery broke, The Athletic's Zach Berman made the following observation on Twitter:
Depending upon Lane Johnson's status, the Eagles could play without 6 of their 11 Week 1 starters on offense:
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) October 6, 2026
Saquon Barkley
Lane Johnson
Cam Jurgens
Landon Dickerson
DeVonta Smith
Dallas Goedert
That list includes four Pro Bowlers, plus the Eagles' top two targets in the…
That was on Monday. Lane Johnson retired on Tuesday, then Cam Jurgens got traded on Wednesday, taking both entirely out of the picture.
For Lane: Thanks for everything and all the best. That couldn't have been an easy decision, but he more than earned the right to make that call on his terms.
For Cam: Thanks and all the best, too. Super Bowl LIX doesn't happen without him, but it's clear now that the 2024 season really took its toll.
As for the Eagles, they're not winning this game. All I can hope for is that they don't get totally crushed in front of an international audience. But if the offense keeps all of Nick Sirianni's notorious and woefully predictable trademarks, that isn't going to happen either.
SIGN UP HERE to receive the PhillyVoice Sports newsletter
Follow Nick on Twitter: @itssnick
Follow Nick on Bluesky: @itssnick
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
