Baffling Jaguars Decision Just Blew Up Their Faces Ahead Of Bears Game

The Chicago Bears made it clear even before their game against the Carolina Panthers that they would leave 24 hours later for the United Kingdom. They have a game in London for the first time since 2019 and didn't want to make the same mistake former head coach Matt Nagy did by arriving just two days before the game. Players looked sluggish as a result, not used to the massive time difference. By arriving early in the week, it would give this Bears team time to acclimate. One would think their opponent, the Jacksonville Jaguars, would do the same thing.

Remember, no team has played more games in London over the past several years than the Jaguars. They should have schedule management mastered by now, right? Apparently not. Head coach Doug Pederson said the plan was to leave on Thursday, just three days before the game. Well, that now looks like a colossal blunder. By waiting that long, the Jaguars found themselves in the direct path of Hurricane Milton, which caused their flight to be delayed. According to the Associated Press, they won't arrive until Friday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to arrive to London later than expected Friday because of Hurricane Milton, the team confirmed ahead of Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

A team spokesperson said on Thursday that the team’s departure time has been “slightly” delayed.

The hurricane brought powerful winds, a deadly storm surge and flooding to much of Florida after making landfall along the Gulf Coast as a Category 3 storm...

...On Wednesday, coach Doug Pederson expressed confidence in sticking to the travel plan.

“It could affect some timing tomorrow trying to get out, but it looks good, it looks promising anyway, for our window to get out of here sort of on time with not too many delays or hiccups in the next 24 hours or so,” he said.

The Chicago Bears stand to benefit from this blunder.

Don't forget Jacksonville is 1-4. They narrowly avoided another loss last week to the ageless Joe Flacco and the Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars aren't exactly a team that looks equipped to handle anything that puts them at a disadvantage. They've had a good streak going in London lately, winning three of their last four games. However, two of those wins were by a single score, and the team wasn't haggard from trying to dodge a hurricane while arriving a mere 48 hours before game time.

The Chicago Bears have no sympathy for them. They're not even in Milton's path and still had the common sense to leave earlier in the week. They have already spent the past few days getting used to the UK time zone and practicing there. They should be well rested and prepared on Sunday. Maybe it won't matter. Jacksonville could still end up winning regardless of their prior experience. Still, the Bears aren't a cupcake opponent. They might be the most complete team the Jaguars have faced in years.

They beat Buffalo last year, but that was after spending the entire week in London following their first game against Atlanta. This is uncharted territory for them.