JACKSONVILLE - The Jacksonville Jaguars host the defending AFC East and AFC champion New England Patriots at EverBank Stadium Sunday, with team analysts identifying offensive line performance and receiver target distribution as the central factors in whether Jacksonville can rebound from a 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos.
The Patriots arrive having won 16 of 17 games last season en route to the Super Bowl, and their defense has allowed no more than 13 points over their last four regular-season games - an average of nine points per game. New England’s most recent outing was a 20-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Senior correspondent Brian Sexton noted the contrast with Jacksonville’s offense, which averaged 28 points per game over its last four regular-season games and 40 points per game in its last four regular-season home games before managing just 13 against Denver - the team’s lowest point total since a 35-7 loss to the Rams in London last season.
“It’s football,” quarterback Trevor Lawrence said this week. “I’m confident that we’re going to respond.”
Senior writer John Oehser identified the trenches as the decisive battleground, noting that the Broncos’ defensive front pressured Lawrence throughout the loss while Jacksonville’s defense allowed Broncos quarterback Bo Nix too much time. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel’s defensive front is similarly physical, and correspondent John Shipley flagged Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s mobility and big-arm ability as a specific containment problem. “Between his big arm, mobility, and penchant for big plays, the Jaguars must limit his scrambling and explosive downfield passing to have a chance to slow the Patriots,” Shipley wrote.
On offense, the question of who serves as a third receiving option behind wide receiver Parker Washington - averaging 10 yards per target through two weeks - and running back Bhayshul Tuten, who is producing 5.0 yards per rush, has drawn scrutiny from multiple analysts. Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. ranks fifth among Jacksonville receivers with 7.27 yards per target and has dropped two passes in Denver. By contrast, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers is averaging 22.7 yards per target, tight end Brenton Strange is averaging 8.0 yards per target on five targets, and rookie receiver Josh Cameron has posted a 10.0 yards-per-target average on two looks.
Team reporter Kainani Stevens argued the Jaguars should not overreact to the Denver result, noting Jacksonville held a 13-3 lead in the third quarter before losing by one score. “Good teams often live in a world of weekly, tightly-contested matchups rather than blowout victories,” Stevens wrote, adding that the Jaguars’ schedule ahead demands they learn to win in different ways.
Kickoff at EverBank Stadium is Sunday.