Denver Broncos claim 21-17 victory over Jacksonville Jaguars after Latavius Murray runs in late touchdown; the Jags had led 10-7 at half-time after Evan Engram's opening touchdown; Russell Wilson finishes 18/30 for 252 yards, one touchdown and one interception
Sunday 30 October 2022 22:31, UK
The Denver Broncos temporarily eased pressure on head coach Nathaniel Hackett as they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 21-17 in the final London game of the season and the first outing at Wembley Stadium since 2019.
Latavius Murray ran in a one-yard go-ahead touchdown with 1.43 to play after Travis Etienne had put the Jags up 17-14 with a one-yard score amid his 156-yard performance.
K'Waun Williams then crowned the win by intercepting Trevor Lawrence at the 35-yard line on the first play of the Jaguars' ensuing drive.
Denver improved to 3-5 on the season with the much-needed victory having arrived in the UK facing scrutiny over a sputtering offense behind Russell Wilson and with trade speculation lingering over wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and star edge rusher Bradley Chubb.
Doug Pederson's Jags meanwhile fell to 2-6 after their fifth straight defeat having led 10-7 at half-time thanks to Evan Engram's opening touchdown and Riley Patterson's field goal followed by Jeudy's score.
Denver took the lead for the first time in the contest through Melvin Gordon's one-yard touchdown run with five minutes to play in the third quarter after Wilson had connected with tight end Greg Dulcich for 38 yards amid a nine-play 98-yard drive.
The teams then exchanged four straight three-and-outs by way of the Broncos' second-ranked defense - also tied-first in EPA/play - and a sack from Jags No 1 overall pick Travon Walker followed by a sloppy false start penalty from Denver.
DJ Jones sacked Lawrence for a loss of seven on third-and-nine to derail the Jags' eight-play drive with 8.51 remaining, celebrating by pretending to sip a cup of tea in an ode to his British hosts.
Penned in at his own end zone on third-and-10 with seven to play, Wilson threatened a field-flipping sucker-punch when he spotted KJ Hamler and Dulcich two-on-one downfield, only for his pass to land between the Broncos duo much to the relief of Jags defenders.
The Jags subsequently took the lead with Etienne's one-yard touchdown run at the end of a six-play march boosted by Christian Kirk's 25-yard reception and the second-year running back's own run of 11.
But Wilson responded with a 47-yard toss to KJ Hamler, who followed up with a nine-yard burst before Murray burrowed through the bodies to complete the defining drive.
Wilson, having almost been intercepted on the opening throw of the game, was picked off on Denver's next drive when Tyson Campbell jumped Courtland Sutton's route to wrestle the ball away at the sideline.
The Jags capitalised emphatically as Lawrence floated a 22-yard strike to Engram on a corner route at the back of the end zone to cap the ensuing possession.
Jacksonville squandered an opportunity to extend their advantage as Lawrence was intercepted by Justin Simmons at the goalline having benefited from four Broncos penalties in a 13-play drive that ended pointless.
Riley Patterson's 37-yard field goal handed the Jags a 10-0 lead after Etienne's 49-yard burst before Jeudy scooted in on a six-yard jet-sweep touchdown to put Denver on the board with three minutes to play in the half.
Broncos:
Passing: Russell Wilson, 18/30, 252 yards, one TD, one INT
Rushing: Latavius Murray, 14 carries, 46 yards, one TD
Receiving: Greg Dulcich, four catches, 87 yards
Jaguars:
Passing: Trevor Lawrence, 18/31, 133 yards, one TD, two INTs
Rushing: Travis Etienne, 24 carries, 156 yards, one TD
Receiving: Evan Engram, four catches, 55 yards, one TD
Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett: "We challenged the offense all week, we needed to be able to make big-time plays in big-time situations, we needed that to happen and these guys stepped up.
"The first quarter, that was a hot start, we go three-and-out and throw a pick on the next play. I talked with Russell, told him to take a breath and do what he does. We were able to make some cushion plays, it's a long football game.
"We've had opportunities to win a lot of games, facts, we've hurt ourselves. This game is more important for us because of how we won, being up and down, up and down, weathering that storm."
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson: "It's been a spectacular week for us, we prepared better than ever. Just to overcome, be resilient, the season hasn't gone how we wanted it to, it isn't over yet, every game counts. We kept swinging, it was kind of like a heavyweight fight.
"I think we've been in every game, this season could be completely flipped around. The thing we keep talking about is unwavering belief.
"Adversity is temporary, I've never shied away from pressure, you've got to look right at it and keep believing. Every season I've ever played you've got to catch momentum, and it clicks, hopefully that's the start of it."
Broncos safety Justin Simmons: "The thing I liked most about this game is it was a complete team effort. There was that stretch at 14-10 when offense was stalling a bit, defense managed to get a few stops, they went down and scored and then the offense hit back. That's what good teams do, find ways to win games.
"Season's not over, raw emotions after the game happen, I'm just proud of the guys, coaches, players, the way we rallied together. I'm proud of this team and the way we battled, we're just going to have to continue to do that."
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson: "If we keep fighting, and working the way we're working, good things will pay off eventually," Head Coach Doug Pederson said. "We're just looking for that one to get it kind of started, then we'll build off of that. That's kind of where we are."
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence: "It's obviously frustrating. I say the same thing every week: It's tough. Obviously, I'm pretty upset and frustrated and disappointed in myself and the way we finished the game. We just have to continue to find ways to win these games, like I've said."
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