3 Halftime Thoughts on Jaguars-Patriots: Jacksonville's Early Momentum

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It is halftime in Jacksonville, and it has been a close one.

The Jaguars are leading ___ at halftime against the New England Patriots, a Week 3 game that has plenty at stake. So, what did we see during the first half and what does it mean moving forward? We break it down below.

A bigger load for Travis Hunter

NFL — Sep 27, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) runs out for player introductions prior to a game against the New England Patriots at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Travis Hunter recorded the first interception of his career, and it was a big one. Hunter was bound to play more in Week 3 after a few shorter workloads to start the season, and he got let onto the field quite a bit more against the Patriots. His offensive workload did not change much, but he was not off the field on defense very often.

This is what Hunter needs. It doesn't have to be perfect. There will be mistakes. But he needs to be on the field, and the Jaguars got that part of the equation right in the first half, and it paid off with an interception.

Let your game speak, 12 🤫 @TravisHunterJr | #NEvsJAX on CBSpic.twitter.com/Cx68N1JkSb
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) September 27, 2026

Trevor Lawrence, Bhayshul Tuten Playing Well

nfl — Sep 27, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands the ball off to running back Bhayshul Tuten (33) during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Through the first 10 quarters of football this season, I am prepared to say the three best players on offense have been Trevor Lawrence, Parker Washington, and Bhayshul Tuten. It was a bit of a quieter day for Washington, but Lawrence and Tuten were each able to make big plays. Lawrence threw two red-zone touchdowns to Josh Cameron and Jakobi Meyers and, outside of an interception off Brenton Strange's hands, did not make many mistakes.

Meanwhile, it continued to look like Tuten is the clear No. 1 running back. Tuten averaged over six yards per carry and was more of a factor in the passing game than a week ago. Tuten looks like he is ready to be the lead back, and nothing he did on Sunday should dispute that.

Jaguars Still Dealing With Explosive Play Issue

nfl — Sep 27, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) runs in the pocket during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars still allowed far too many explosive plays in the passing game in the first-half, which has been an issue since the season started. The issue was masked in the first week against the Cleveland Browns but it popped up time and time again in last week's loss against the Denver Broncos. The Patriots' offense was not exactly good in the first half, but they did get three explosive plays.

The first explosive play came on the first defensive drive, with the Jaguars sending a pressure look at the Patriots that failed to get home, leading to the Jaguars giving up a 21-yard completion to Mack Hollins. Later in the half, the Jaguars allowed a 16-yard gain on 1st-and-30 on a double pass after missing a tackle, and they then let Pop Douglas beat them on a 38-yard gain on a busted play. The Jaguars need to get this under control now.

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