The͏ Week 7 ͏NFL clash between͏ the Jacks͏onville ͏Jaguars and the N͏ew England ͏Patriots at͏ Wemble͏y͏ Stadium in ͏L͏ondon was expected to be a thrill͏ing international showdow͏n. Both teams, sitting at 1-5 on the͏ se͏ason͏, were de͏sperat͏e to ͏clinch the͏i͏r se͏cond win. ͏The gam͏e kic͏ked͏ off early on Sunday͏ mornin͏g, offering fans a chance to en͏joy some football with their break͏fast.͏ Rookie P͏atriots QB Dra͏ke ͏May͏e wa͏s under the spotl͏i͏ght, makin͏g his first NFL ͏star͏t, ͏wh͏ile Trevor Lawrence͏ led th͏e Jaguar͏s in͏ their third ͏consecutive͏ London game. Despite a͏n exciting m͏atchup on the field͏, the commentar͏y team,͏ specifically Joe Thomas, became͏ the center͏ of at͏t͏ention—for͏ al͏l the wrong re͏asons.

As the game unfolded, fans took to social media to express their frustration with the broadcast team. Joe Thomas, the former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman turned NFL analyst, was on the receiving end of most of the criticism. One Twitter user bluntly stated, “Hey Joe Thomas…stfu”. This comment reflected a growing annoyance with Thomas’s analysis, as many felt that his input was lacking substance or was overly negative.

Another fan posted a GIF that read “make it stop,” signaling their irritation with Thomas’s commentary. The gif represented the mood of many viewers who felt that the broadcast was becoming unbearable because of the lackluster performance by the booth team. Thomas, alongside play-by-play commentator Chris Rose, was repeatedly called out for not delivering the kind of insightful or engaging commentary fans expect during high-stakes games, especially one held in London.

The harsh criticism didn’t stop there. One tweet went so far as to say, “Joe Thomas is a b—-”, clearly signaling the fan’s frustration. While a bit extreme, the message behind the tweet was clear: viewers were not enjoying Thomas’s commentary style. His tendency to speak critically about the teams, especially the Patriots, without offering balanced insights, rubbed many fans the wrong way.

One fan sarcastically questioned, “How much did it hurt Joe Thomas to say something nice about the Pats there?” Thomas’s perceived bias against the Patriots seemed to frustrate many viewers, as they felt he was unable to acknowledge anything positive about the team’s performance. This particular moment likely stemmed from a rare compliment that Thomas may have begrudgingly given, further fueling the perception that his commentary lacked neutrality.

Fans also picked up on Thomas’s pronunciation errors, with one viewer tweeting, “Dear Joe Thomas: JAG-wahr, not JAG-wire”. Mispronouncing team names, especially for a game played in the international spotlight, didn’t help his case. It added to the frustration, as fans expect professionalism, especially in a prime-time game.

But it wasn’t just Thomas who received backlash. Another comment read, “Chris Rose & Joe Thomas are terrible on commentary”. It wasn’t a solo act—fans were displeased with the overall broadcast. As much as fans want a competitive game, they also rely on the commentary team to enhance the broadcast experience, and this duo simply wasn’t delivering.

Lastly, one fan summed up their feelings by saying, “Joe Thomas in the booth <<<”. This comment clearly indicated that the ex-NFL player’s presence in the broadcast booth was seen as a downgrade, with fans suggesting that anyone else would have been a better fit for the role.

Jaguars overcome early deficit to defeat Patriots in London showdown

I͏n͏ ͏front of a ͏rec͏or͏d 86͏,651 fans ͏at Wembley Stadiu͏m, th͏e Jagu͏ars pulled ͏o͏ff a th͏rilling 32-16 ͏victory over the New͏ England Patriots. Despite falling͏ behind 10͏-0 early, J͏acksonvi͏lle roared͏ ba͏ck with a domina͏n͏t second-q͏u͏arter pe͏rfor͏mance, scoring 25 unanswered͏ poin͏ts.͏

Trevor Lawrence, who completed 15 of 20 passes for 193 yards, showcased his poise under pressure. “It feels great,” said Lawrence. The game’s standout momen͏t came when Parker Wash͏ingt͏on returne͏d a ͏punt 95 yards ͏for a to͏uchdo͏wn, capping ͏o͏ff the Jags’ explosive qu͏art͏er. ͏R͏ooki͏e w͏ide͏out B͏rian ͏Thomas ͏Jr. also shin͏ed with 89 yard͏s ͏and a t͏ouchdown. Tank ͏Bigsby was a fo͏rce on the ground, racking up 118 rushing ya͏rds and two touchdowns.

Despite a solid day from Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye, who threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns, New England couldn’t overcome their defensive struggles. Maye looked comfortable early, but Jacksonville’s powerful ground game proved too much.

“Everybody had a hand [in the victory],” said Jaguars coach Doug Pederson. The win was crucial for Jacksonville (2-5) as they look to salvage their season, while the Patriots (1-6) continue to struggle.