Doug Pederson explains Jaguars’ late arrival in London

The Denver Broncos arrived in London for a Week 8 game early Tuesday morning. The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t make their transatlantic flight until three days later, arriving Friday morning.

Earlier in the season, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson told reporters he consulted with sleep experts ahead of a cross country flight to play the Los Angeles Chargers and decided to arrive the day before the game. This time around, Pederson said the decision to fly out later in the week wasn’t quite as scientific.

“I really don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer for when teams come over, but I enjoy the Thursday into Friday,” Pederson said. “It’s kind of shock to the system once you get here, but we have a great team that spends a lot of hours putting this trip together. It’s seamless.

“I like sleeping in my bed for a couple more days. I like game planning and preparing at home with our offices and the field and everything. It’s just my preference, quite honestly. Again, I don’t think it’s necessarily the right way, that’s just the way I enjoy doing it.”

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While it remains to be seen how players perform on Sunday, the flight arriving Friday morning meant Jaguars players were pretty groggy for the team’s final practice of the week.

“I think everybody’s eyes were closing as we were walking here, but it’s definitely a change,” Jaguars receiver Marvin Jones Jr. said. “You can’t get around it. You’re going to feel tired, obviously with the big time change, but once you come out here and move around a little bit, start to get some time off and go to the city and stuff like that, you definitely wake up, but I know tonight everybody’s going to be knocked out.”

The Broncos and Jaguars are set to play at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday morning, which is 2:30 p.m. in London.