The Jacksonville Jaguars are facing the New England Patriots at home in Week 3. Both teams are 1-1, and assumed to be playoff contenders — at least for now. A loss could crater those hopes, so both teams will be anxious to walk away with a win.
In Week 2, the Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, but struggled against the Seattle Seahawks the week prior. Meanwhile, the Jaguars easily defeated the Cleveland Browns in Week 1, but then lost in a fourth-quarter collapse to the Denver Broncos, halting their momentum.
Defeating the Patriots will go a long way towards redeeming Jacksonville after the Week 2 loss. Here are their keys to victory.
Get Trevor Lawrence comfortable early — and keep him there
Lawrence looked incredible in the first half against Denver. But the offensive line was no match for the Broncos,
and the constant pressure clearly got to him. Lawrence started making poor throws and ultimately couldn't rally the offense enough to just hold on to the lead they had gained through the first three quarters.
Meanwhile, the Patriots have allowed only 16 points through two games and just one offensive touchdown, and held Pittsburgh to three points last week. So rather than simply “protect Lawrence,” he and the offense must get into a rhythm early. They will need to do everything they can to make sure this doesn't become another afternoon where Lawrence is constantly playing under pressure and behind schedule.
Make Drake Maye uncomfortable
Maye has already been struggling this season. The Jaguars need to make him struggle more. Maye has completed 67.3% of his passes and has 386 yards so far this season, but he's thrown just one touchdown against four interceptions, and has been sacked six times. Yet he can't be written off yet; he's also dangerous with his legs, having racked up 64 rushing yards on 11 carries, with six rushing first downs.
Last week, Jacksonville didn't sack Bo Nix once, and that lack of pressure clearly made a big difference in the Broncos' win. This week needs to be different. The Jaguars need to keep Maye uncomfortable and under pressure through the entire game, force him to make mistakes, and keep escape lanes blocked, so he isn't able to turn a third-and-8 into a 12-yard scramble.
Don't let New England control the game on the ground
Anthony Campanile specifically highlighted the challenge presented by Patriots RBs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. Stevenson is the physical runner while Henderson has the home-run ability, and Campanile emphasized gap integrity, getting defenders' eyes right, and team tackling. Jacksonville has allowed 95.5 rushing yards per game and 3.8 yards per carry so far.
Still, New England's offense hasn't exactly been lighting people up, scoring just 30 points total in two games. If Jacksonville can take away the comfortable run game and put Maye into obvious passing situations, that's when Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker can find opportunities to attack a QB who already has four interceptions.
Stay patient against the Patriots defense
The New England offense may be struggling, but the defense is not. The Patriots have allowed 13 points or fewer in four straight regular-season games, averaging just nine points allowed over that stretch. Against Denver, meanwhile, Jacksonville led 13-3 in the third quarter before the game got away from them. Against a Patriots team built to hang around, force mistakes, and win ugly, the Jaguars can't begin stressing and rushing because the offense isn't scoring every possession.
Bhayshul Tuten has 131 rushing yards through two games, while Parker Washington has 181 receiving yards and has now topped 80 yards in six consecutive games dating back to last season. So “patience” doesn't mean playing scared; Jacksonville has productive things it can lean on. But if the New England defense is making the offense start slow, the Jaguars can't let that make them desperate, which will only lead to more mistakes.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 4 keys to a Jaguars victory over the Patriots in Week 3
