First, our Jubilee Line train stalled right before it reached Wembley Park station last Sunday.
Then, in what seemed like a bad omen, the Eagles offense seemed to stall as well late in the 4th quarter.
Luckily, both made it to their desired destination in time.
The London “Underground” train, after halting for about 10-15 minutes, made it to Wembley Park, and the Eagles managed to not give up another late lead and lose the game.
After the Eagles took a 24-15 lead with 9:55 left in the 4th quarter, they allowed the Jaguars to go 69 yards on 10 plays before stopping them at the 6-yard line and forcing a field goal, which cut the Birds lead to 24-18.
But regardless of which city or continent they are playing in, the Eagles have been prone to giving up late leads over the first half of the season. So when the team went three and out on its next possession and punted to Jacksonville, thoughts of another late game collapse must have been permeating through the minds of all those who had made the trip to London to watch their beloved Birds.
Those thoughts came to the forefront when, on 4th & 1 at their own 36, the Jaguars converted and kept their drive alive. Somehow, the Eagles seem unable to stop anyone on 4th down, and this only solidified that opinion especially in this writer’s mind.
But when the Jaguars reached 3rd & 2 at their own 48, they were unable to convert on two straight passes, and the Birds offense garnered two more first downs to run out the clock and seal the game.
If the Eagles were playing a quality opponent, the outcome could have been different. But this was the Jaguars, a team that was still trying to find the magic that got them 15 minutes away from reaching the Super Bowl last season.
With the win, the Birds got to 4-4 and more importantly, did not send their faithful out into the jam packed line waiting to board the train asking themselves why they made this trip to see another devastating loss.
While I expected throngs of Eagles fans to make the trip to London, the one thing that surprised me was how many British football fans there actually are.
If one wanted to gauge the heavy attendance of the Brits at Wembley Stadium last Sunday, the evidence could be found when the singing of the Star Spangled Banner was followed by the singing of God Save the Queen. As soon as the song began, one could hear thousands in attendance at Wembley singing along, signaling that American football is not only a game followed by those who live on American shores.
And while, on my many visits to other cities to watch the Eagles, I’ve always been surprised at how many Birds fans I’ve met who’ve never lived in the Delaware Valley, I was also equally amazed to see how many Eagles fans there were who reside in the U.K.
For example, my father, while waiting in the concession line during the game, met a young man in his 20’s who drove from Manchester to Wembley on the morning of the game just to watch his favorite NFL team, the Eagles, play. His girlfriend, who was in attendance with him, was a Redskins fan because…well because she found a Redskins hat at a young age and started wearing it.
Everyone has their reasons for becoming a fan of a team I suppose (ironically, my brother-in-law is also a Redskins fan, but that’s because he grew up in Northern Virginia, not because he found a hat).
On the train leaving the game, we spotted an older British gentleman wearing a Carson Wentz jersey. Curious, I asked him how he became an Eagles fan. He replied that while he had lived in the U.K all his life, he got hooked to the NFL, and became a Philadelphia fan, while listening to game broadcasts on Armed Forces radio back in the 1970’s. He explained to us, in delight, how he had the chance to visit Philadelphia and experience a game back at the “Vet” in the 80’s.
It’s stories like these that make Eagles road trips just as memorable as watching the game itself, and I’m glad that, in the case of the London game, we could make a memorable family trip out of it.
With the Birds having their bye this week (a.k.a “Rake your leaves” Sunday), there is no game to preview, so instead let’s take a look at this week’s marquee matchups:
Amit’s Marquee Matchups of the Week (all games on Sunday and in EST unless noted otherwise):
Steelers at Ravens 1:00 PM CBS – I keep hearing how good of a team the Ravens are, but with a record of 4-4, they have been inconsistent thus far.
The Steelers always seem to be in play for a playoff spot, though some of their fans (namely, my friends who are Steelers fans) would like to see a change at the head coaching position. Being a battle between two division rivals, this should be an intriguing contest, and represents the only marquee matchup in the 1 PM EST time slot.
Chargers at Seahawks 4:05 PM CBS – The Chargers hope to take that next step and become an elite team in the AFC. But time is running out for quarterback Philip Rivers, who is now in his 15th NFL season, to reach that elusive Super Bowl.
The Seahawks defense is no longer the “Legion of Boom” team they were just a few years ago, but they have been playing well as of late. And while the Los Angeles Rams, barring a collapse, will run away with the NFC West, Seattle is hoping to get an invite to the NFL playoff dance via one of the two wildcard spots.
Rams at Saints 4:25 PM FOX – This game is the best one on the docket this week, as it pits the top two teams in the NFC against each other, and could determine who gets home field advantage in the NFC playoffs.
The Rams held off the Packers at home last week, but should have a tougher time on the road in the New Orleans Superdome. L.A is the lone undefeated team left in the NFL, which could change by Sunday night.
Packers at Patriots 8:20 PM NBC – Aaron Rodgers vs. Tom Brady…need I say more? Ironically, these two have yet to face each other in a Super Bowl, and I don’t see that changing this season.
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