The Jacksonville Jaguars have already reached a spot where Sunday feels like more than just another early-season game. At 1-1 after last week’s loss to the Denver Broncos, they now turn to a home meeting with the defending AFC Champion New England Patriots at EverBank Stadium, and there are a few obvious issues that have to get sorted out fast.
The biggest one starts in the backfield with Bhayshul Tuten. He’s already taken the early steps toward a year-two jump, and the next question is how far the Jaguars are willing to push him.
By the numbers, Tuten has been their top running back this season in snaps, carries and total touches. But the way Jacksonville has used him still leaves room for more.
The feel around the offense is that the Jaguars could lean harder into him as a true lead back, much the way they did with Travis Etienne a year ago.
Trevor Lawrence made it clear Wednesday that the staff wants more of that, too.
"I think we're going to lean on him more and more," Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said Wednesday. "He's done some great things and his vision seems like he's seeing it well.
I think he's a guy too, the more settled in he gets and kind of gets in a rhythm and routine, kind of like most guys, honestly, that's football. It helps to get settled in.
He sees it better and better and breaks a lot of tackles, has that speed. Would love to see him crease one here soon, see that speed because he can fly.
I think that's coming. We’ve just got to keep trusting it and giving him opportunities.
I think he's doing a great job.”
That feels especially relevant against New England. The Patriots bring the kind of defensive front that can make life miserable for a passing game, much like Denver did a week ago. If Jacksonville wants a cleaner offensive rhythm after managing just 13 points in Week 2, a heavier workload for Tuten may be part of the answer.
The other major issue is protection in the middle. The Jaguars had trouble with interior pressure against the Broncos, and Zach Allen was a big reason the offense kept getting knocked off schedule. That same stress could show up again this week, only the Patriots have their own disruptive interior pair in Milton Williams and Christian Barmore.
"It just happens faster. It happens faster when you have guys on the inside that get an edge and when you get edged in pass pro on the interior, it’s on the quarterback that much quicker, opposed to being on the edge," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said Wednesday.
"Obviously, we struggled with it a little bit last week with Allen [Broncos DL Zach Allen] specifically and got a huge test this week with Barmore [Patriots DT Christian Barmore] and Williams [Patriots DT Milton Williams], specifically. It's those guys, the quick wins are the ones that are the tough ones to sustain because he just feels it."
That makes this a huge week for the Jaguars’ interior line group, especially Emmanuel Pregnon, Robert Hainsey, and Ezra Cleveland. After the problems they had against Denver, they’ll need a much sharper outing to keep Lawrence comfortable.
Then there’s the matchup on the other side of the ball. Drake Maye entered the league as one of football’s most dangerous big-play quarterbacks, and he showed why a year ago when he finished as the MVP runner-up.
He has the arm strength, the scrambling ability and the confidence to challenge tight coverage. But through two weeks of the 2026 season, the explosive plays have not come nearly as easily.
Via NextGenStats: "One year removed from leading the league with 0.71 EPA per dropback and finishing third with 0.86 points per dropback on downfield throws, Maye's -0.21 EPA/DB ranks third-lowest while his -0.01 points/DB is second-lowest. Four of his 15 downfield pass attempts have been intercepted in 2026 after just six picks on 182 such attempts in 2025."
That sets up a straightforward pressure point for Jacksonville. Maye has been more turnover-prone and less explosive in a small sample, while the Jaguars have already given up too many downfield plays through the air in the first two games. That was a problem for the defense a year ago, too.
Something has to break one way or the other on Sunday.
In Other News...
Jaguars Uniform Schedule Leaves Door Open For A Fan-Favorite Return
The Jaguars have already mapped out part of their look for the season, and it includes a couple of familiar favorites. Jacksonville will wear its Prowler Throwback uniforms in Week 3 against the New England Patriots and again in Week 14 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the teams Nike Rivalries jerseys are set for Week 8 against the Indianapolis Colts. Those Rivalries uniforms do not count toward the NFLs limit of four alternate uniform games, which gives the Jaguars a little extra flexibility as the schedule unfolds.
What makes the announcement interesting for fans is what still isnt locked in. Jacksonville has two alternate-uniform chances left on the calendar, leaving open the possibility of another return for a look that has long had plenty of support around the fan base. The all-black uniforms remain a candidate, and with two slots still available, the Jaguars have left themselves room to decide how bold they want to get later in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Ex-Jaguars RB Already Giving Saints Fans A Reason To Worry
Travis Etienne Jr. is only two games into his New Orleans tenure, but the early returns have already given Saints fans something to watch closely. The former Jaguars running back arrived on a big-money deal, and the expectation was obvious: he would be a featured piece in the offense and a driver of explosive plays from the backfield.
Instead, the usage has been more split than seamless. Etienne has been on the field for 57% of the snaps and has shared touches with other backs, while his yards per touch is lagging behind last seasons pace. It is still far too early to label the contract a success or a miss, but the first glimpse of this new partnership has not exactly calmed the questions around how New Orleans plans to use him. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Offense Faces An Early Trevor Lawrence Test In New England
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense head into Foxborough facing an early-season measuring stick against a Patriots defense that should ask different questions than the ones Jacksonville has seen so far. New England brings Drake Maye into the spotlight on the other side, but the more immediate issue for the Jaguars is whether Lawrence can handle the pressure, get the ball out on time and keep the offense on schedule in a game that figures to be shaped by field position and patience.
For Jacksonville, this is the kind of matchup that can reveal whether the system is settling in or still searching for answers. The Patriots are the sort of opponent that can force a quarterback to win with discipline rather than splash plays, and the Jaguars will need their passing game to stay ahead of the sticks while the staff weighs how aggressive to be. It is only Week 3, but games like this can tell a team plenty about where its offense really stands. [Read more 🡒]