The Jaguars head into Week 3 with a Patriots matchup that asks plenty of every level of the roster, and a handful of names stand out as the ones most likely to shape how Sunday goes.
Start with Bhayshul Tuten, because the signs are pointing toward a bigger role. Through two weeks, he’s been Jacksonville’s most dynamic and efficient runner, and the Jaguars appear ready to keep opening the door for him in both the run game and as a pass catcher. He has already logged the first- and third-most carries in a game in his career over the opening two weeks, and there’s a sense this stretch of the schedule could bring even more out of him.
“I think in the run game, the runs probably speak for themselves, the yards after contact, being able to find the reads. I think his reads themselves have improved," Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said this week.
"And I think in the protection game, we haven't got to feature him quite as much as we would like to in the route game as a pass catcher, but you see him more out there in the protection game and in passing situations feel really comfortable with him out there picking up blitzes and recognizing the different pressures that I mentioned that teams like Denver, teams like New England bring. I think the growth has been pretty consistent in all areas.
It doesn't always show up on Sunday. Would've loved to have seen a couple more targets to him at this point in Week 2.”
New England’s front is built to bang at the line and challenge the run, so this is not an easy spot for a young back. But if the Patriots crowd the box the way they’re expected to, Tuten could become one of Jacksonville’s best answers. This has the feel of a game where he could push himself closer to RB1 status.
On the other side of the ball, DaVon Hamilton deserves just as much attention. The Jaguars nose tackle has been excellent early, doing damage against the run and creating the kind of disruption that frees up teammates around him. He showed up on the injury report with a back issue from last week, but he carries no injury designation for Sunday and should be available.
Hamilton has become a major piece of this defense, and the matchup only adds to the intrigue. New England’s interior offensive line will be dealing with a backup right guard, and Hamilton has the kind of presence that can swing a game like this if he keeps controlling the middle.
Parker Washington has also emerged as one of Jacksonville’s most important early-season weapons. The passing game has produced a bunch of explosive plays through two weeks, and Washington has been at the center of a lot of them. He has been one of the NFL’s most productive receivers over that stretch, and the Jaguars will likely keep leaning on him to move the ball.
There’s also the matchup element here: Washington is unlikely to spend much time dealing with Christian Gonzalez from the slot. Even if Jacksonville works in more looks for Jakobi Meyers and Brenton Strange, the flow of the passing attack still seems set to run through Washington. Against another defense that brings a dangerous corner on the outside, the slot may again be Jacksonville’s best path to chunk gains.
Ventrell Miller is another defender who has jumped off the screen in the first two weeks. With Devin Lloyd gone, Miller has taken over as the Jaguars’ top weak side linebacker after winning a training camp battle with Branson Combs, and he has responded with active play against the run and as a blitzer.
“He's done a really good job overall. I felt like even in the last game, he did a good job," Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said this week.
"He's a guy you can rely on to set the tone physically for the defense. And that's one thing that I feel like he's done over the first two games.
He's looking to improve, he's trying to do extra. And I think all of his teammates see that, and that's been a good thing for our defense.”
The numbers back up the eye test. According to NextGenStats, Miller leads the Jaguars with 11 run tackles, seven run stops, and two run stuffs in 2026.
His 26.2% run tackle rate is a career high through the first two games of a season, and he had 15 run tackles all of last season. Against a physical Patriots rushing attack, he’ll be in the middle of everything.
Then there’s Romeo Doubs, the Patriots receiver who could determine whether their passing game finds any traction. He’s not being mistaken for A.J.
Brown, but he can still threaten defenses vertically and make them pay for losing track of him. If New England hits a big play through the air, Doubs is the most likely route to it.
That puts the spotlight on Montaric Brown, who leads the Jaguars’ cornerbacks in snaps so far this season. Brown should see plenty of chances to match up with Doubs when the Patriots try to attack downfield. If he can limit those vertical shots, Jacksonville may be able to squeeze the rest of New England’s passing game and keep control of the matchup.
In Other News...
Jaguars May Need A Trade To Fix This Defensive Problem
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Bobby Brown, Moro Ojomo and Karl Brooks have all surfaced as possible trade options because each would address that issue in a different way, depending on fit and contract situation. For Jacksonville, the question is whether the right answer is already in the building or whether this is the kind of roster hole that pushes a team toward the trade market before the season gets any deeper. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face An Early Worry That Could Define Week 3
The Week 3 matchup with New England comes with the kind of early-season hinge that can shape how the Jaguars are viewed moving forward. In a staff roundtable preview, the conversation centered on the players most likely to swing the game, with Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore and Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. drawing particular attention as potential difference-makers in a matchup built around pressure, timing and execution.
For Jacksonville, the concern is less about the broad outline of the opponent and more about how one or two individual battles could tilt the afternoon. Thomas is part of what the Jaguars need to function cleanly on offense, while Barmore represents the sort of disruptive force that can complicate everything for a quarterback and line trying to settle in early. The result is a game preview that feels less like a standard September check-in and more like an early test of how sturdy Jacksonville really is. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face A Travis Hunter Debate They Still Havent Settled
Travis Hunters early second NFL season has already become one of the more interesting workload stories around the Jaguars, and not just because he can line up at both cornerback and receiver. Through the opening stretch, Jacksonville has kept his snaps limited on offense and defense, a cautious approach for a player whose value comes from impact on both sides of the ball. It has also prompted plenty of outside curiosity, including from his former college coach Deion Sanders, who has openly said he is confused by how the Jaguars are using Hunter.
Liam Coen has acknowledged the conversation, saying the team is considering giving Hunter more reps on both sides, but the Jaguars have not yet settled on a clear long-term answer. Hunter has made his preference plain by saying he wants to play both positions full-time, and that is where the tension sits for Jacksonville: the talent is obvious, the role is still not. Until the Jaguars decide whether to lean into that versatility or continue managing it carefully, Hunter remains one of the teams most watchable unresolved stories. [Read more 🡒]