All the storylines headed into a must-win for the New England Patriots on Sunday.
We're on to Week 3 of the NFL season, and the New England Patriots have an important early-season matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The reigning AFC South champs have a defense that could disrupt Drake Maye and the Patriots' offense. However, this could be a game where the defense comes up big against Trevor Lawrence and proves that last week was no joke.
All week long you've heard the theories, position battles, and decisions on who will win, so here are some of the key storylines going into this matchup down in Duval County, Florida.
Drake Maye's Confidence
Left tackle Will Campbell spoke with the media this week about the confidence that he and the rest of the team have in Drake Maye, but does their franchise quarterback have confidence in himself?
Maye looks shaky, on edge, and confused on the field the last two weeks. That can happen to any quarterback in September. However, we're in the final week of the month. Something has to give, right?
The Jaguars like to run a Cover 6 defense, which has become Maye's kryptonite since the Super Bowl. That was then; this is now. A 14-of-22 performance like last week won't cut it against Jacksonville; it's time for the Patriots' franchise quarterback of the future to evolve, and a big win on the road would silence some critics.
Injuries
Maye can hopefully evolve, but as for the Patriots, overall they're pretty banged up. Expect the Jaguars to attack the backup right guard, Greg Van Roten, who is in for Mike Oneweu. Morgan Moses is expected to play, but he was limited this week due to a foot issue.
On defense, the Patriots will be without both Dre'Mont Jones and Quintayvious Hutchins at edge rusher, and safety Craig Woodson remains questionable as of this writing, along with Dell Pettus now on IR.
The Patriots were healthy in 2025 and 2026, but so far, it's been a different story.
The Run Attack, If There Is Any
The Patriots will need to rely heavily on their running game against the Jaguars on Sunday. If Jacksonville's Cover 6 schemes are used out of the gate, edge rushers like Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker could shoot the outside of the line, forcing Maye to hand the ball off more in the first quarter.
Last week, Rhamondre Stevenson had a mediocre performance of six carries for 43 yards. He fumbled the ball, which made Patriots fans feel he was regressing back into his old ways.
TreyVeyon Henderson had an incredible 39-yard touchdown run to get the Patriots on the scoreboard early. After that, he averaged just under three yards per carry. Someone needs to step up here to take some pressure off the passing game.
Who Will Christian Gonzalez Be Shadowing
When it comes to Christian Gonzalez, it's never about who he's guarding but instead who he is shadowing. So far, there has been no argument against his new contract extension, as Gonzo has been worth every penny, playing on Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Week 1 and DK Metcalf in Week 2.
Gonzalez may be lining up against Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., but don't be surprised if Gonzalez leaves him out in zone and switches to shadowing Parker Washington.
Trevor Lawrence has taken a liking to Washington, as he already has 12 receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown. The Jaguars can spread things out, but expect to see Gonzalez around key receivers all afternoon.
Is the Patriots Defense for Real?
The Patriots defense is off to a pretty good early start. They played a decent three quarters against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 and absolutely embarrassed the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense last Sunday. However, you could argue the Steelers were stagnant and lackluster. So maybe, just maybe, the Patriots haven’t been tested yet.
They can prove that theory wrong on Sunday against an offense that looks to mix things up on the field. In just two games, the Patriots have had six sacks, blitzes at the sixth-highest rate in the NFL (41.1%), and they generate pressure on 46.7% of their blitzes.
If they can shake up Lawrence like the Broncos did last week, this could take pressure off Drake Maye as he tries to find his confidence again.
Patriots Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Patriots. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
