JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville Jaguars dismantled the defending AFC champion New England Patriots 35-6 Sunday at EverBank Stadium, turning a tight third-quarter game into a blowout with three critical takeaways and the most effective rushing performance of their young 2026 season.
The Jaguars ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries - a 4.6-yards-per-carry average - against a Patriots defensive front that had held opponents in check through the first two weeks. “If we can run the ball effectively like that, it just makes everybody’s job so much easier,” Head Coach Liam Coen said.
Third-year running back Bhayshul Tuten, making his third consecutive start, carried 15 times for 73 yards and a touchdown and added two receptions for 17 yards. He now has 204 yards and two touchdowns on 43 carries this season. “Very proud of Tuten,” Coen said. “He has been a pro’s pro. He has really grown up before our eyes.”
Veteran running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., acquired as a restricted free agent this offseason, delivered his strongest game of the season after entering Sunday with just 36 yards on 12 carries in two games. Rodriguez rushed eight times for 37 yards and a touchdown against New England. “A big shout out to the guys up front,” Rodriguez said. “They did their job all day and did it at a high level. I got a bunch of appreciation for those guys.” Coen said the staff was deliberate in its approach: “He had a phenomenal week of practice and we were intentional about what runs we really wanted C-Rod on.”
The Jaguars led just 14-3 before wide receiver Parker Washington made what Oehser described as an “impossibly difficult” touchdown reception on third-and-goal from the 17-yard line late in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 21-3. The Jaguars registered three takeaways on the day, with a second-quarter fumble recovery by defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton among the turnovers that came at critical moments. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye committed more mistakes than New England typically allows under Head Coach Mike Vrabel.
The victory is Jacksonville’s second win of the season and comes one week after a loss to the Denver Broncos that Coen described as a game in which the team was not “in sync.” The Jaguars host the Cincinnati Bengals next.