The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a disappointing loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 2 and won't have much time to dwell on it since their schedule is only going to get harder. They will next face off against the New England Patriots and the Cincinnati Bengals before they face the Philadelphia Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Week 5.
Philly has been one of the top teams in the NFL the past few years, so you could make the case that they will be the Jags' toughest opponent before their BYE in Week 7. Fortunately for Jacksonville, the Eagles may be without one of their top weapons when these two teams play in London.
The Eagles will be without Dallas Goedert for a few weeks
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that Philadelphia will be without Dallas Goedert for a few weeks after he suffered an MCL sprain in the Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans. As of this writing, the Eagles have yet to put Goedert on the Injured Reserve list, and it's hard to tell just how much time he'll miss, given that "a few weeks" could be anything from three to eight, seven or eight weeks.
Having said that, it's fair to say that Goedert won't be available when the Jaguars play Philly. If that's the case, quarterback Jalen Hurst will have to lean on the trio of Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, and DeVonta Smith. While that's still a talented group of receivers, not having to face Goedert would give the Jacksonville defense a bit of a break.
Then again, the Eagles signed a familiar face in Zach Ertz to replace Goedert not long after the news emerged that he will sit out a few games. While Ertz is no longer the Pro Bowl tight end he was in his prime back in the late 2010s, his familiarity with Hurts and the Philadelphia offense could help overcome Goedert's absence for as long as it lasts.
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The Jaguars defense will have their work cut out vs. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles
The Jaguars defense is coming off a disappointing outing. Although Anthony Campanile's unit got off to a strong start in Week 2 and even had a goal-line stand that forced Denver to settle for three points, they struggled in the second half, giving up 10 unanswered points that ultimately resulted in Jacksonville's 20-13 loss.
The good news is that the Jaguars have acknowledged their shortcoming against Denver and have enough talent to turn things around. Expect Campanile to make the necessary tweaks to his system to get the pass rush going and prevent further leaks in the secondary.
While the Jags have two games before they play the Eagles, there's no doubt that their offense will provide a good test for the Jacksonville coaching staff to show whether they can tighten things up. And the fact that Dallas Goedert may not be available could give Jacksonville a bit of a break.
Granted, it may not be that big of an edge, but when you take into account just how tough the competition is at the NFL level, not having to worry about him will most definitely help, even if it's just a little bit.
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