Russell Wilson overcame some hiccups to lead the Denver Broncos to a thrilling comeback victory as they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 21-17 at Wembley Stadium.
Wilson has been heavily criticised amid a poor start to his career with the Broncos following his high-profile trade from the Seattle Seahawks. However, the 33-year-old passed for 252 yards and a touchdown to help lead Denver to an important win, moving them 3-5 on the season in front of a UK-record 86,215 fans under the iconic arch.
Wilson entered the game with 106 wins - the fourth-most long active quarterbacks. However, it was the Jaguars' sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence who displayed the early composure expected of a veteran and former Super Bowl champion.
On the very first play of the match, Wilson dropped back and threw as his pass was agonisingly almost intercepted by cornerback Darious Williams. The Jaguars didn’t have to wait long to get their feel, though.
After both Denver and Jacksonville saw their drives end with quick punts, Wilson was picked off deep in his own territory by Tyson Campbell as the defensive back leapt inside Courtland Sutton to make the play. It set the Jags up in decent position, and Lawrence made the Broncos pay with a perfectly-weighted 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Evan Engram.
Engram exclusively told Mirror Sport that he wanted to score in London - and the tight end got his wish with his grab in the corner of the end zone midway through the first quarter to give the Jaguars a 7-0 lead. This was exactly the start the Jags needed against a Denver defence that had only allowed seven touchdowns in 2022, the fewest by a team with a losing record at this stage of the season since 1999.
The Broncos needed a play to get their derailed ride back on track. A defensive pass interference call took the ball to their own one-yard line, and it felt like it was a matter of time before the Jags doubled their lead; enter Justin Simmons. The safety snagged a wayward throw by Lawrence to save Denver and give both Wilson and under-fire head coach Nathaniel Hackett a lifeline.
It didn’t last long. Another three-and-out returned possession to the Jaguars, and running back Travis Etienne broke clear on a 49-yard dash to set up a 37-yard field goal. Riley Patterson knocked it through to make it 10-0 to Jacksonville in the second quarter.
Finally, with 8:45 remaining in the half, the Broncos offence got a first down. They added another with a successful Wilson sneak on fourth down, before the maligned quarterback picked out Jerry Jeudy to move the chains. At first-and-goal, Jeudy took an end around to score a six-yard rush and make the scoreline read 10-7.
Wilson found his rhythm on the final drive of the half. The quarterback nonchalantly tossed a pass to Melvin Gordon to kickstart the drive, finding his running back again to move into Jacksonville territory - but a sack from Dawuane Smoot ended the momentum and the half.
The Broncos flew out the blocks, with the defence forcing a Jacksonville punt before Wilson found Greg Dulcich three times for 78 yards. Gordon rushed in from close range to give Denver a 14-10 lead.
With the Jags offence struggling to make plays, it was up to the defence - and 2022 No.1 overall pick Travon Walker obliged with a huge sack on third down to slow Denver’s offensive momentum. However, Lawrence and co. could do little on their next possession and another punt followed.
The second half was ultimately defined by the dominant defences on display from either side, with both offences struggling to move the chains. On third down, Wilson launched a dime that looked like it might just find the streaking duo of KJ Hamler and Dulcich but it wasn't to be as it landed agonisingly beyond their clutches.
On the next drive, Lawrence hit receiver Christian Kirk to move the Jaguars deep into Denver territory. Etienne took the ball to the one-yard line before the 2021 first round pick bundled in to reclaim the lead. With just under four minutes remaining, the Jaguars led 17-14 - what was Wilson made of?
The former Super Bowl champion quarterback showed his mettle immediately as he launched a 49-yard bomb down the sideline to find Hamler. Wilson followed that monster play with a clever rush, met with roars from every corner of Wembley before Latavius Murray hurdled a defender to leave the Broncos just two years from the end zone.
Murray rushed again to score, with Wilson aggressively fist-pumping and celebrating in a pleasant display of genuine passion. The Broncos led 21-17 and a late K'Waun Williams interception sealed the win for Denver.
It may have taken a trip across the Atlantic to get going, but it finally felt like Broncos Country might just enjoy Russell Wilson’s ride.
