London sack exchange! Jacksonville Jaguars on the money as they shrug off back-to-back losses with 23-7 win over Atlanta Falcons at Wembley

• Jacksonville Jaguars picked up an important win over Atlanta Falcons on Sunday
• Trevor Lawrence set the tone as he found Calvin Ridley for an early touchdown 
• The Falcons struggled to get in the game and looked toothless as they slid to 2-2

In a get-right game, winning is the only thing that counts. If the opposition hand victory to you, all the better. 

After back-to-back defeats, the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) were on edge as they flew in for their 10th game in London. Thanks to the toothless Atlanta Falcons (2-2), they barely broke sweat in a 23-7 Wembley win. 

Both teams have been slow starters this season, but after quarterback Trevor Lawrence found receiver Calvin Ridley for an early touchdown, Jacksonville never looked like losing. 

Lawrence took an almighty hit from Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss as he released a 30-yard pass for one of the easiest touchdowns of Ridley’s career. He was wide open, and against his former team too. 

Ridley was drafted by Atlanta in 2018 but was banned for the entire 2022 season after gambling on NFL matches. His new start in Jacksonville has begun brightly.

Jacksonville Jaguars picked up an impressive win over Atlanta Falcons at Wembley on Sunday

They bounced back from consecutive defeats to win 23-7 against a disappointing Falcons side

Wide receiver Calvin Ridley set the tone early on as he caught a 30 yeard touchdown pass from quarterback Trevor Lawrence

‘I’m so proud of Calvin, you know what he’s been through in his life. He’s put a lot of things behind him and he’s focused on the future,’ said Jags head coach Doug Pederson. 

Backed up by a dominant defensive display — Josh Allen had three sacks on Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder and Darious Williams a pick six — the Jags raced into a 17-0 half-time lead, with kicker Brandon McManus adding the first of three field goals. 

‘The biggest thing is we complemented each other today — something that we hadn’t done the past couple of weeks. Offensively, defensively, special teams. We did a great job with that,’ said Lawrence, who completed 23 of 30 passes for 207 yards and that touchdown. 

The Jags were not spectacular, but they didn’t beat themselves. They left that to Atlanta. After wasting last season with Marcus Mariota at quarterback, Desmond Ridder has the immediate future of the franchise in his hands. 

This was his eighth NFL game, and it was a chastening one. The second quarter was particularly rough, with three drives ending in brutal fashion. First, Ridder was sacked by Allen for a loss of 14 yards. 

Then Jags cornerback Williams raced unchallenged for pick six to make it 17-0. And Ridder’s next throw was also intercepted, this time by Andre Cisco. Only a turnover on downs prevented Jacksonville extending their lead.

Straight after the half, Atlanta briefly breathed life into the game. The Jaguars blitzed, Ridder threw a 15-yard pass to Drake London on third and nine and Jacksonville had something to think about at 17-7. 

The Jags could not get the touchdown to kill off the game, but the crowd were denied a frantic finale after wide receiver London was pushed out of bounds in the end zone to deny him a second touchdown. 

The only bright spot for Atlanta was the performance of rookie running back Bijan Robinson, who topped 100 yards for the second time in his NFL career. But Kyle Pitts continues to be underused, with the tight end only mustering 21 yards off two catches. 

Desmond Ridder struggled at first but helped Atlanta briefly breathe life into the game in the third quarter

The Jaguars face a tough test in their next match when they take on the Buffalo Bills

‘We have to do a better job and it starts with me jump-starting the offense early,’ said Falcons head coach Arthur Smith. ‘We put ourselves in the hole again. You’re going to make life harder on yourself.’ The first of three games in the capital this season was watched by a record 85,716 crowd. 

It began with the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes held up by inflatable blimps and was filled with the Roar of the Jaguars and in-game promotions from official partners of the NFL. The Jaguars are now 5-5 all time in London, and they face the might of the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. After a win, this week should be an enjoyable one.

‘I think they were much more relaxed. Really the energy today was much better than last week. You saw it on the sidelines, with their demeanour, their play all of that,’ Pederson said. For Atlanta, they face a long flight home. 

As Lawrence said: ‘This is a lot of fun when you win here — it’s not so much fun when you when you lose.’

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