3 Key Areas Jaguars Have an Advantage Over Patriots: The QB Chess Match

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For the Jacksonville Jaguars to shake off last week's loss, it is going to take a tough, gritty win over a quality opponent.

The Jaguars have gotten those kinds of wins time and time again under head coach Liam Coen thus far in his tenure, and they will need to find a way to do it again in Week 3 against the New England Patriots.

For the Jaguars to make that happen, they will need to take advantage of these three key areas against the Patriots and Mike Vrabel's squad.

The Patriots' RT Hole

morgan moses — Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots offensive tackle Morgan Moses (76) against the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Patriots' offensive line has had some weak moments again in 2026, though left tackle Will Campbell has stepped it up. According to NextGenStats, Campbell has allowed three pressures on 69 pass blocks thus far this year, gving him a 4.3% pressure rate that is the second-lowest among all left tackles. On the flip side, right tackle Morgan Moses has allowed nine pressures and 1.5 sacks on 69 pass blocks (13.0%), the eighth-highest pressure rate among right tackles.

Campbell will likely see plenty of Josh Hines-Allen, which means Travon Walker and Dennis Gardeck will get some snaps against Moses. The Jaguars will need Walker and Gardeck, who have combined for 12 pressures thus far this season, to be ready for the matchup. Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile should know Moses' skill-set well after years of battling against him in the AFC East.

“I've coached against him a few times in the past. I think he's a really good player. They got a bunch of good guys in the front. [Patriots G Alijah] Vera-Tucker's another guy who was with the Jets too when I was in Miami. I think they've got some physical guys and Moses definitely brings that to their offensive line. He's got a certain physicality that they benefit from.”

Under Center Trench Battle

nfl — Jacksonville Jaguars Defensive Tackle DaVon Hamilton (52) runs a drill during the Jacksonville Jaguars 10th day of NFL Training Camp at the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday, August 9, 2026. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Patriots want to do one thing on offense: run the ball. They will line up with a fullback and try to play smashmouth football with play-action passes and heavy tight end usage for four quarters, and the Jaguars will have to be ready to counter it when the Patriots go with under center looks. Luckily for the Jaguars, the numbers give them an edge.

According to NextGenStats, the Patriots have run from under center formations on 82.4% of plays, the fourth-highest among NFL offenses this season, but have averaged just 3.0 yards per carry on designed runs (6th-lowest). Meanwhile, the Jaguars have allowed 104 rushing yards from designed under center runs this season (9th-fewest). The Jaguars have struggled a bit against shotgun runs, but they make plays when teams try to grind it out and load up the line of scrimmage.

The QBs and Their Coverage Strengths, Weaknesses

trevor lawrence — Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) drops back to pass against the Denver Broncos in the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars and Patriots each have two talented quarterbacks who are, frankly, more alike than people realize. They are big-armed and mobile passers who shred man coverage but struggle a bit at times against man coverage. The good news for the Jaguars is that their defense focuses on deploying the kind of coverage that can slow Drake Maye down,

According to NextGenStats, Lawrence has faced man-coverage on a career-low 19.6% of dropbacks through two weeks. In those dropbacks against man coverage, Lawrence has completed 7-of-10 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown, giving him 10.4 yards per attempt and several explosive plays. The Patiors run man coverage at the highest rate of any defense in the NFL this year, though they have allowed just 3.0 yards per attempt in man coverage, the second-lowest mark in the NFL.

That means it will be good on good when the Jaguars' passing game faces off against the Patriots. But on the flipside, the Jaguars run a zone-heavy look that could benefit against Maye. Maye has thrown an NFL-leading three interceptions against zone coverage this year and has a -0.09 EPA per dropback against zone coverage, while the Jaguars have ran zone coverage on 76.7% of their snaps. They have allowed too many explosive plays from zone, but this could be a week to rebound.

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