The NFL’s annual trip to London will come to an end on Sunday when the New England Patriots take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It is the third game in consecutive weeks to take place on English soil and follows two thrilling contests.
Both the Jaguars and the Patriots have struggled this season as they hold 1-5 records heading in to week seven.
That may be a concern for some heading to the game or wanting to tune in hoping for a great spectacle.
But former NFL defensive back Jason Bell believes there is still plenty to watch for, here are the key storylines to look out for.
Jason Bell believes this Sunday’s game will still be well worth watching despite the teams’ struggles
Drake Maye will make his second start for the New England Patriots
Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars will look to get back on track against the Patriots
Doug Pederson on the hot seat?
It is safe to say that the Jaguars front office would have been expecting better results after giving Trevor Lawrence a bumper five-year $275 million contract in the offseason.
But the team has only amassed 12 touchdowns on the year so far, though much of that struggle is hard to blame on their franchise QB who has contributed eight passing touchdowns to just three interceptions.
And Jason Bell speaking via 888Sport believes this game could be critical for his future: ‘Doug Pederson’s trying to get on the plane and come back home, so he’s going to coach his tail off.
‘The pressure’s on right now. First of all, you pay Trevor Lawrence, he’s not going anywhere and you’re the guy who’s supposed to make him, you know, a top-1o quaterback, because you’re a quaterback guy.
Doug Pederson is under pressure given the Jaguars struggles this season
Bell believes Trevor Lawrence will be going nowhere after his bumper new contract in the offseason
‘The offence is supposed to be clicking and firing because you’re the play caller, but what is really happening right now? What’s the culture of this team?
‘What’s the identity? And you don’t really know, you don’t really have it. So everything points up to the head coach, because he is the head cultural centre.
‘The pressure’s on him but if he can find a way to get these players to really rally behind him and go out there and fight for him, that could change everything.’
Young stars on show
One thing that cannot be overlooked, especaily from the New England Patriots point of view, is they have a number of young stars on show.
And that starts with their rookie quarterback, Drake Maye, who there is plenty to be excited including a knock-on effect about according to Bell.
‘It’s all about playmaking ability right? If you got a quaterback and you see him practicing, you know he’s got an explosive arm.
‘So at any moment, he can just sling that thing in the air for 50 yards and it’s hanging there and you’re like ‘wow, this guy is a play away.”
‘It’s like a knockout boxer, you know, he may look sloppy for a minute but then all of a sudden that haymaker comes.
‘That is the way to look at young gunslingers, these quarterbacks with big arms always have the receivers thinking that this guy will give me an opportunity.
Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez are the young exciting stars at the core of the Patriots rebuild
‘They are thinking ‘I could be the one to make a big play’ and under Jacoby Brissett, it wasn’t like that.’
There was plenty of excitement reserved for the defensive side of the ball as well, with second-year Christian Gonzalez in the spotlight.
‘You knpw, Christian Gonzalez didn’t have his best game last week, but I think we just expect a lot from him.
‘He’s a rare blend of size, speed and athleticism, when you play cornerback you got to be twitchy and fast, he has that but he also size and length and he has great ball skills, which is just a dangerous combination.
Desperation time
As mentioned before, neither team has had the season they would have wanted to this point, managing just a single win each.
That leaves both sides with an air of desparation as they make their way to Wembley and that should make for a spectiacle according to Jason Bell.
‘One and five, this is desparation time, so that always breeds a good game. And think about these teams.
‘Even if they have felt like they couldn’t win games before, they both feel like they can win this one, and hope is dangerous.
The Jaguars are coming off of a blowout loss at the hands of the Chicago Bears
The Patriots gave up 41 points in their loss to the Houston Texans
‘So they’re going to come out swinging, and they’re both going to think they’ve got an opportunity to get on this plane and feel better about themselves.
‘And for New England, I mean, their future is getting on the field. Drake Maye.
‘They saw a little bit last week, now they get to check him out again, they have a lot of hope and the want to see what he has.
‘For Jacksonville, they’re in a corner right now. They found a way to get right out here before so this is the game.
‘These players have pride you know, they have to look at each other. They spent the whole week together and they got to say ‘hey, we got to find a way to go out and fight.”’
‘So all that’s happening, and that’s what makes this game, for anybody who thinks it isn’t going to be a good game, so unique, because you have all these storylines, all this drama.