Jacksonville squares off against the defending AFC champions in Week 3. If the Jaguars are to defeat the New England Patriots, these five keys to the game must be executed.
Coming off a tough loss last week to the Denver Broncos, the Jacksonville Jaguars won't have it any easier in Week 3 against the New England Patriots.
Sunday will be the first game the Jaguars have played the week after a loss in over 10 months. How they respond will go a long way toward determining how successful this season will be. Jacksonville is still learning how to deal with success and high expectations, and being able to bounce back after a difficult loss is a big step for any team trying to go from good to great.
If they want to beat the AFC-champion Patriots, there are several keys to the game that the Jaguars will need to execute.
Here are the five biggest keys to a Jaguars' victory:
1. Keep Travis Hunter On The Field
Travis Hunter is one of Jacksonville's best and most important players. However, his usage over the first two games has been nowhere near what the Jaguars need from him.
Hunter wants to be both a full-time cornerback and wide receiver. So far, he has been neither.
In Week 2 against Denver, Hunter only saw the field for seven (11.7%) of the Jaguars' offensive snaps and 37 defensive snaps (60%). Jacksonville won't win this game with their best cornerback on the sideline for 40% of the defensive snaps. On offense, seven snaps are not enough to give Hunter a legitimate shot at making an impact.
Hunter has the talent to wreck a game on both sides of the ball. It is time the Jaguars started game-planning to take advantage of it.
2. Feed Bhayshul Tuten
Bhayshul Tuten has looked great through his first two games as Jacksonville's top running back. He has 28 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown so far.
It is time to start feeding him even more. Tuten had 15 carries in Week 1's blowout win against Cleveland and only 13 against Denver. He has home-run speed, and if he can break off a big run or catch against the Patriots, it will go a long way toward helping the Jaguars get a win.
Offensive coordinator Grant Udinski spoke about Tuten earning more opportunities in the passing game, but he has only three receptions in Jacksonville's two games. More is needed.
Giving Tuten 20+ touches against the Patriots could pay huge dividends.
3. Re-establish The Pass Rush
Against the Browns in Week 1, Jacksonville registered five sacks and made life miserable for quarterback Deshaun Watson. Star edge rushers Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker each had 1.5 sacks to start their seasons off with a bang.
Unfortunately for the Jaguars, they recorded zero sacks of Denver QB Bo Nix last week. Nix was able to pick apart Jacksonville's defense in the fourth quarter and finished with 288 passing yards.
Walker spoke about the defensive line focusing on correcting the small details in practice this week. If the Jaguars want to beat the Patriots, they must find a way to get QB Drake Maye on the ground.
4. Win Matchups Against Christian Gonzalez
The Patriots have one of the NFL's best cornerbacks in Christian Gonzalez. How the Jaguars' receivers fare against the stud corner could be the difference in the game.
With WR Parker Washington starting the season off hot and establishing himself as WR1, it is possible the Patriots may try to match up Gonzalez on Washington this week instead of keeping him on the outside.
If that is the case, Washington must get the best of Gonzalez. If New England is comfortable with slot CB Marcus Jones covering Washington, WRs Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers have to give QB Trevor Lawrence options other than Washington. That means winning their matchups against Gonzalez.
5. Win The Turnover Battle
Jacksonville's defensive success depends on creating turnovers. When the Jaguars win the turnover battle, they almost always win the game.
In the Denver game, each team had one turnover, and Lawrence's interception was the play that completely tilted the game in the Broncos' favor.
If Jacksonville is to come out of this weekend with a victory, the defense must force turnovers. Maye threw three interceptions in the Patriots' season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and another in last week's win over the Steelers. If the Jaguars can force him into risky throws that become picks, expect Jacksonville to win.
Final Thoughts
Week 3 gives us yet another matchup between two of the AFC's top teams. If the Jaguars are to come away with a win, they must execute these five keys to the game.
If they do, the Jaguars will bounce back from a difficult loss and earn a statement victory that sends a message to the rest of the NFL.
