By now, the Jacksonville Jaguars should be used to traveling to London regularly for their "home" games every year. However, for every other team around the NFL, it must wreak havoc on their bodies.
History indicates that's the case, anyway. According to John Breech at CBS Sports, teams coming off an international game (like the Philadelphia Eagles) going against a team coming off a bye week (like the Caarolina Panthers) are 0-4 all-time.
We're getting an NFL rarity this week: A team coming off an international game (Eagles) has to play a team coming off a bye (Panthers).
— John Breech (@johnbreech) October 14, 2026
This has only happened four times ever. The team coming off the international game is 0-4. #Eagles #Panthers pic.twitter.com/rt2fRfPgAj
If the rest advantage isn't enough, the Eagles
are also dealing with a slew of injuries to key players—perhaps even more so than the snake-bitten Panthers.
Their star running back Saquon Barkley and top wide receiver DeVonta Smith, both of whom did not practice on Wednesday, have been sidelined with hamstring injuries. Philadelphia's offensive line is absolutely battered and also lost right tackle Lane Johnson to a sudden retirement a couple of weeks ago. All in all, 24 players were listed on their first injury report of the week.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts did what he could with a shorthanded offense, but Philly managed just 22 total rushing yards in their loss to Jacksonville. Their Week 5 loss across the pond sent them to a concerning three-game skid.
While the Panthers are far from fully-healthy themselves, they seem to be catching the Eagles at just the right time.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: NFL schedule gives Panthers big advantage over Eagles in Week 6
