NFL: Denver Broncos twice come from behind to beat Jacksonville Jaguars 21-17 at Wembley (2024)

The Denver Broncos twice came from behind to earn a morale-boosting 21-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley.

Both sides arrived in the UK with 2-5 records but put on a thrilling finish in front of a crowd of 86,215 - the biggest ever for an NFL game in London.

The Jaguars led 10-0 after an early Evan Engram touchdown and a field goal, before Jerry Jeudy and Melvin Gordon ran into the endzone either side of half-time to help Denver to a 14-7 lead.

Jacksonville, led by last year's number one draft pick Trevor Lawrence, went back in front after a Travis Etienne touchdown with just under four minutes left.

Denver came into the game with the NFL's lowest scoring offence and star quarterback Russell Wilson failing to deliver after his blockbuster trade from the Seattle Seahawks.

But the former Super Bowl winner, 33, found KJ Hamler with a 47-yard pass to set up Latavius Murray for a two-yard touchdown with 1:43 left to play.

Then the Denver defence intercepted Lawrence on the very next play to seal their first win in five and ease the pressure on both Wilson and new Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

"I've never shied away from pressure," said Wilson. "You've got to look right at it and keep believing.

"And I do believe that, as a team, you've got to catch some momentum. There's a moment where it clicks. Hopefully this was the start of it for us."

Since Denver acquired Wilson in one of the most lucrative trades in NFL history, Wilson has struggled to produce anything like the form that made him a Super Bowl winner in 2014 - against the Broncos.

He's been in the worst form of his career and has been booed by his own fans, so missing last week's loss to the New York Jets with a hamstring injury was almost a blessing in disguise.

On the plane to London, Wilson said he worked out for four hours of the eight-hour flight "to make sure I'm ready to rock" in the last of this year's three London games.

He may have been passed fit but the quarterback and the Denver offence were more reeling than rocking during the opening stages.

Wilson was nearly intercepted on his very first play before being picked off on Denver's second drive, and Lawrence accepted the invitation to float a delightful pass to Engram for a 22-yard touchdown.

Lawrence, who is yet to live up to his pre-draft hype, was denied another potential touchdown as his pass towards the endzone was intercepted by Denver's Justin Simmons early in the second quarter.

And although the Jaguars added a field goal, Wilson finally got the Broncos rolling on their next drive, making a 25-yard pass to Jeudy before handing off for the wide receiver to run it in from six yards.

Denver began their first possession of the second half from their own two-yard line but Wilson got the Broncos upfield with three huge plays to tight end Greg Dulcich, the latter a 38-yard pass which allowed Gordon to crash over from a yard.

"In the huddle I told the guys 'we've got to go 98 yards here - believe in it'," said Wilson.

A run of six straight punts followed, setting up a nervy finale which looked set to go in Jacksonville's favour when Etienne got in from a yard.

Denver made the perfect reply on their next play, though, with Wilson's deep ball to Hamler getting their fans roaring with anticipation.

Running back Murray, picked up from the New Orleans Saints days after scoring in another London thriller earlier this month, followed that up to put Denver back in front.

Cornerback K'Waun Williams then picked off Lawrence to give the Broncos the chance to run down the clock and head into their bye week on a high.

"That was huge for us, to overcome adversity and be resilient," Wilson added.

"The season hasn't gone the way we want it to but it's not over yet. There's a lot more to be accomplished."

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Wilson married singer Ciara at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire in 2016 and she and their children also travelled to the UK for Sunday's game.

Wilson is a Liverpool fan and the family were presented with Reds' shirts last week, as well as a pair of Liverpool cleats, which Wilson wore as he warmed up at Wembley.

After the game, Wilson wore a Jordan Henderson jersey for his news conference and was asked if he had any advice for Liverpool after their latest Premier League defeat, against Leeds on Saturday.

"I watched the game last night," he said. "Liverpool are one of the best soccer teams in the world.

"I've watched them over the years in the States, so shout-out to Liverpool."

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