One streak will end: Jaguars, Broncos vie in London, each riding four-game losing skids

The roughly eight-hour journey has officially ended for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) as they get set to face off against the Denver Broncos (2-5) at Wembley stadium in London, U.K.

Both teams look to turn their respective seasons around, attempting to overcome four-game losing streaks.

It will be the first time Jacksonville has played at Wembley since 2019. They hold a 4-4 record in London since beginning their annual voyage across the pond in 2013 with victories over the Indianapolis Colts, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and, most recently, the Miami Dolphins.

The NFL paused international play in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The game is set for kickoff at 9:30 a.m. EDT and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN+, and locally on News4Jax (Channel 4, WJXT) in Jacksonville.

The stage is set for Jacksonville to end its losing streak. Last week, in the team's loss to the New York Giants, the Jaguars faced adversity yet again, unable to overcome unforced errors that have plagued them throughout the season.

More Jaguars coverage:

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• 'He's top 2': Doug Pederson credits Pat Surtain II as elite corner ahead of Broncos matchup

With Halloween just around the corner, Jacksonville certainly looks to give the City of Jacksonville a treat, rather than a trick as they have over the past four weeks.

The Jaguars are 7-7 all-time (including the playoffs) against the Broncos. During their last matchup, Denver defeated Jacksonville 23-13. They've split their past two meetings 1-1 with the Jaguars coming away as victors in Denver, 26-24 in 2019.

Jaguars will have to find their footing on tricky Wembley turf

When the Jaguars and the Broncos take the field on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, the teams will have to battle an adversary other than their own: the turf.

Though the "pitch," — as its colloquially known in England — underwent a revamping in 2020, the surface is composed of 97 percent organic grass and three percent artificial turf. Still, the grass isn't one made necessarily for what football in America consists of.

As Jaguars punter Logan Cooke describes it, the grass at TIAA Bank Field is vertical, whereas the turf at Wembley stadium sort of "lays down sideways."

In 2018, Cooke played his first game at Wembley against Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson's former team, the Philadelphia Eagles. In pre-game warmups, Cooke was testing the field, noting that he slipped a couple of times due to not just how the grass lays, but also because it is typically wet and dewy in London.

"It's kind of something you had to be conscious of," Cooke said in the locker room on Wednesday. "Over here, I shave down my plates a good bit, but over there, it's just something that you really don't want to do that much as far as shaving down the spikes a whole lot."

Of course, Cooke won't have to worry too much about the way the hybrid-surface turf lays as a punter. But, it could be something Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson will have to figure out quickly as the team's kick-off specialist.

"It can play a little bit of a role ... even when playing a rainy game over here [in Jacksonville], there's times where you want to have more of a spike on your plant foot, [the] kicking foot doesn't matter a whole lot but, it's really just about your plant foot."

Cooke has mentioned the surface difference to Patterson but noted that he didn't want to harp on it too much so as to not get it into the young kicker's head.

Though it seems innocuous, field conditions at stadiums have become a talking point within the NFL of late.

Recently, Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp and cornerback Jalen Ramsey have shared their opinions on playing on a grass vs. turf field. SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, has recently been brought into question due to the injuries that have been sustained recently on the field.

"It's not even close," Kupp said Thursday. "I know there's stuff going around the league right now, there's some issues. Hands down, we should be playing on grass. Hands down, we should be on grass. And that's all I'm going to say."

Though that's not the type of field Jacksonville and Denver will be playing on, the conditions of the field and how much give the field at Wembley has can play a role in how the team performs.

Jaguars offensive lineman Tyler Shatley described the playing surface at Wembley as "different," something that doesn't have to concern himself too much, playing a position that doesn't have to cut or do too much movement up and down the field as other positions might.

For him and his fellow linemen, perhaps it will "level the playing field" a bit, he said, as defensive linemen might have a more challenging time getting their footing as they launch off the ball.

"Some guys will change into the seven-stud [cleat]," Shatley said on Wednesday when asked about the differences in footwear. "If you're wearing a molded cleat, that one doesn't grip real well. So, yeah, some guys will change cleats but, other than that, I mean, you just gotta get your feet in the dirt."

Jaguars defensive lineman Dawaune Smoot says the field at Wembley isn't too much different from TIAA Bank Field's grass, depending on the weather. But, when it's gloomy and cloudy, the field can be a bit soft, he said in the locker room on Wednesday.

"It's definitely not a football field, you can tell, it's more of a soccer field but, I mean, it just has differences. Just got to kind of watch the steps when you're making cuts and stuff like that," he added, noting that players will likely have to clean off the grass in their cleats more often than they would in the states.

James Robinson pens classy goodbye to Duval

On Monday, the Jaguars sent running back James Robinson to the New York Jets for a reported conditional sixth-round draft pick. Robinson played 35 games in Jacksonville, rushing for 2,177 yards, and scoring 18 touchdowns on the ground.

Though the team's record at 6-40 has left Jaguars' fans much to be desired since Robinson joined the club, he quickly became a fan favorite, one of the only bright spots on teams — specifically in 2020 and 2021 — that were beyond dreadful at times.

Thursday night, Robinson penned a letter to Duval County, thanking Jaguars fans for the love they've shown during his time in Jacksonville.

"I felt like I found different parts of my game and showed what I was capable of. I’m proud of how I came back from my Achilles. And I felt love from Jags fans every step of the way, I really did," Robinson said via The Players Tribune.

"I heard the cheers outside the facility, I saw my name on a few jerseys at The Bank. There are some great people in Duval, and great football people. The support meant a lot to me. And it still does, even on my way out."

Robinson has always been known for his soft-spoken, actions-before-words nature. That hasn't changed since he arrived in Duval. Fans have adored him for it, but most importantly, for what he was able to give them — hope.

Before signing off, Robinson did note that he likes the direction the team is heading in under Pederson, something he didn't necessarily have to include.

"And things are looking better for the Jags —  the sky’s the limit for those guys. Even with these losses, there’s a lot of buy-in. Trev, Travis … and they got some boys on D … they’ll continue to be game changers for a long time. It’s a good culture. And I feel proud to have been a part of that."

It tracks. At 2-5, there hasn't been any sign of trouble within the team's locker room. The buy-in, as Robinson said, appears to be thriving.

Jamal Agnew questionable; three others don't make the trip

Last week, Jaguars receiver/return specialist Jamal Agnew was unable to suit up due to a knee injury suffered during the team's Week 6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. This week, Agnew was able to hit the practice field all three days, including Friday while the team held its practice in London.

On Friday, he was officially listed as questionable, meaning that he has a shot to play this weekend, and Pederson noted that the team was "optimistic" about his return.

"We are going to try to push him one more day tomorrow (Saturday) and see where he’s at, but if he can’t, then we’ll be back to where we were last weekend with Christian (WR Christian Kirk) doing the punts and JaMycal (RB JaMycal Hasty) on the kickoff returns and things of that nature," he said Friday.

The team did not list anyone else on its injury report, officially placing cornerback Shaq Griffin on the team's injured reserve list on Wednesday due to a back injury.

Three players didn't make the trip to London, the team said on Friday. That included newly-signed cornerback Tevaughn Campbell, defensive lineman Adam Gotsis and safety Tyree Gillespie. All three of the players are healthy but will miss the game against Denver.

Russell Wilson set to play, Jaguars must take advantage

On Friday, Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett told members of the media that quarterback Russell Wilson will start against the Jaguars. Wilson missed last week's contest against the New York Jets due to a hamstring injury.

There was question throughout the week about whether or not Wilson would ultimately be healthy enough to suit up, but it appears that four-hour high knees and stretching on the long plane ride across the pond were enough to get him loosened up.

If Wilson does in fact suit up, the Jaguars ought to be in an advantageous position. Thus far this season, Wilson has not looked like his former self. He's completed just 58.6 percent of his passes (career low) for 1,442 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.

The Broncos are the worst-scoring offense in the NFL with just eight total touchdowns, scoring a measly 14.3 points per game this year.

The Jacksonville defense has hit a dry spell in the way of turnovers. They haven't recorded a turnover since Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles. They've also hit a lull during the fourth quarter of games, unable to finish teams off. Against the Broncos and a — potentially — one-legged Wilson, that ought to change.

Nevertheless, Jacksonville is preparing for both Wilson and backup Brett Rypien, understanding that Wilson has plenty in the toolbox to make things work for him and the Denver offense.

"We understand what Russell brings to that team, and he also has the ability to run and use his legs. I’ve coached against him many times, and he can beat you doing that," Pederson said on Wednesday. "It has to be kind of every hand on deck, so to speak, to exhaust the film and understand what our defense is getting into and be prepared for both.”

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Preview: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Denver Broncos on Sunday at 9:30 a.m