Will third-year wideout Brian Thomas Jr. repeat his good fortune in the past against the New England Patriots? The Jacksonville Jaguars play hots on Sunday.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a tough test in their bounce-back opportunity this Sunday, matching up with the New England Patriots.
The Pats haven't looked like the same team who made the Super Bowl last season, but are still posting some of the top defensive metrics in the NFL.
The two teams haven't matched up since the 2024 season, where Jacksonville knocked off New England comfortably, winning 32-16.
Brian Thomas Jr., who was a rookie at the time, had a big performance, leading all Jaguars in receiving with 89 yards.
The top highlight of the day for Thomas came with the Jaguars trailing in the second quarter.
Thomas beat his man down the middle of the field and the offensive line held up, allowing starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence to uncork a 58-yard throw to his standout rookie wideout.
The former first-round pick finished with five catches, and found the endzone later in the game.
Of course, Thomas went on to record over 1,000 receiving yards, leading all first-year receivers in most measured statistics.
But, his sophomore season was much different, with the former LSU standout struggling with drops and lingering injury.
Through the opening two weeks of this season, Thomas has been relatively quiet, with Parker Washington taking the lion's share of the receptions.
In both Week 1 and Week 2, Thomas has posted an identical statline, hauling in three catches for 40 yards.
He did have some impressive grabs, but is yet to connect on a deep ball with Lawrence.
Throughout the offseason, reports talked about the Thomas-Lawrence connection looking deadly in practices and training camp.
On the final day of August, head coach Liam Coen joined the Rich Eisen Show on ESPN to talk about what Thomas brings to the passing attack.
"When he’s playing at a high level, our offense is just different," Coen said.
He went on to say that Thomas' ability to stretch the field vertically provides another element to the team's offensive attack, saying he forces defenses to send double teams and shade him over the top.
Against a stout Patriots' secondary, getting Thomas free could be difficult, but he is due for a big catch.
Getting Thomas rolling early in the season would also be big for the rest of Jacksonville's receiving corps, as teams will have to respect him over the top.
The Jaguars look to repeat history Sunday at home in the early afternoon slot.
