Calvin Ridley scored against his former team as the Jacksonville Jaguars marked their 10th game in London by marching to a 23-7 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The Jaguars carried a 17-0 advantage into half-time after Ridley's opening touchdown and a Darious Williams pick-six as Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder was intercepted on back-to-back plays.
Drake London's third-quarter touchdown offered hope of a comeback but a Falcons offense that had been largely blunted through the air struggled to bridge the gap in the closing exchanges.
The Jaguars are making history this month by becoming the first NFL team to play back-to-back games overseas, beginning against the Falcons at Wembley before facing the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Week Five.
Trevor Lawrence finished 23 of 30 passing for 207 yards and one touchdown, while Josh Allen had three sacks alongside one from Travon Walker amid a swarming display from the standout Jacksonville defense.
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Bijan Robinson threatened to ignite a Falcons fight back when he cut back to burst away for 38 yards down the sideline, propelling a drive that would end in Ridder's 15-yard touchdown strike to London inside the pylon to cut the lead to 10 in the third quarter.
Rookie running back Robinson finished with 14 carries for 105 yard, while Jonnu Smith led the Falcons with six catches for 95 yards. Christian Kirk topped the Jaguars' receiving options with eight catches for 84 yards.
The Falcons were inches away from setting up a tense conclusion in the final minutes when Ridder floated a pass to London at the back of the end zone, where the rangy wideout rose well to make the catch only to fail to get both feet down.
Ridley had opened the scoring in the first quarter when he hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass at the back of the end zone after Lawrence had slalomed away from pressure superbly to throw to his new star weapon on the run.
The Falcons' Robinson-led rushing attack found itself frustrated by the Jaguars' defense before Allen broke through to derail Atlanta's ensuing drive with a sack on Ridder for a loss of eight.
Stats leaders:
Atlanta Falcons:
Passing: Desmond Ridder, 19/31, 191 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Bijan Robinson, 14 carries, 105 yards
Receiving: Jonnu Smith, 6 catches, 95 yards
Jacksonville Jaguars:
Passing: Trevor Lawrence, 23/30, 207 yards, 1 TD
Rushing: Travis Etienne, 20 carries, 55 yards
Receiving: Christian Kirk, 8 catches, 84 yards
Brandon McManus made it a 10-point game with a 56-yard field goal at the beginning of the second quarter, after which Ridder's first deep-shot attempt was broken up by Tyson Campbell in tight coverage on London's deep over route.
Disaster followed for Ridder as he was intercepted by Williams on a pass intended for London on a dig route during which the Falcons quarterback seemed to completely miss the Jags defender, who raced away for a 61-yard touchdown to put the hosts in control.
It was almost two in as many minutes as Ridder was intercepted again, this time by Andre Cisco who was eventually stopped short of the end zone. Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata subsequently came to their quarterback's rescue by stopping Lawrence short on fourth-and-one to force a turnover on downs.
Ridder finished the game 19 of 31 through the air for 191 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
McManus kicked field goals of 43 and 38 yards down the stretch in the fourth quarter, with star man Allen icing the game when he sacked Ridder to force a fumble that the Jags would recover.
Scoring summary
What did they say?
Jags head coach Doug Pederson on Calvin Ridley: "I'm so proud of Calvin, what's he's been through in his life. He's put a lot of things behind him. He's focused on the future. Obviously his testimony, it's one that can be spread to a lot of professional and younger-generation athletes. He's doing things right. We love having him on the football team."
Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder: "I did a terrible job of taking care of the ball. We've got to find a way to start faster, whatever that may be, however it is, that's just what we've got to do, and I've got to do a better job of taking care of the ball."
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence: "I think we had that confidence about us. I don't want to say loose and relaxed. I think that is important, but we were very intense and focused on the details, but I think we just let it loose today as far as just going and playing. We didn't really worry about doing anything wrong or making mistakes. We just went and played. I think more the intensity and stuff during the week, I think that helped us coming into today, more so than tightening up on Sunday."
Jaguars cornerback Darious Williams on Josh Allen: "I don't know what he's eating, I don't know what he's drinking. He's doing something because he's going crazy. We need that. That helps the whole defense. That helps us."
What next?
The Falcons host the Houston Texans in Week Five, while the Jaguars remain in London to face the Buffalo Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
You can watch the Baltimore Ravens take on the Tennessee Titans from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium live on Sky Sports NFL on October 15.