3 Reasons Why Jaguars Were a Massive Winner from the NFL's Opening Night

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Well, the first night of the 2026 NFL season was a good one for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

No, Duval was not directly involved in the Seattle Seahawks leaving opening night with a 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots. The Jaguars, of course, do not kick off Week 1 until they face the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Stadium on Sunday afternoon. But the Jaguars still managed to leave the NFL's first game of the year as big winners, and here are a few reasons why.

The State of Drake Maye

Drake Maye's last four starts have come against maybe the three best defenses in all of football (Houston, Denver, Seattle), but that still does not excuse or change the fact that he simply has looked ... off. Maye was on fire for most of last season, but there were always questions about how his play would translate when the Patriots' schedule got tougher. So far, there have been more growing pains than anything else.

Drake Maye on his last 25 throws of 20+ air yards:

6/25 passing (24.0%)
2 TDs
5 INThttps://t.co/2VwNaYGmOV pic.twitter.com/xHU8pG5k4Z
— Underdog (@Underdog) September 10, 2026

Maye is still a talented quarterback capable of carving up defenses with both his arms and his legs. But for now, it feels like the Jaguars and their defense are about to get Maye at the exact right time: as he is trying to pick himself up out of a slump.

Patriots' Matchup Losing Some Teeth?

mike vrabe — Sep 9, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel during the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When this matchup was made earlier in the offseason, it was certainly circled as a tough draw. The Patriots had won the AFC a year ago, Drake Maye was a near-MVP, and they had just landed A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. But after just four quarters, perhaps it is clear we should hold off a bit on annointing the Patriots? They had the same issues they had in the Super Bowl, they do not look very explosive on either side of the ball, and Josh McDaniels simply looks overmatched as an offensive coordinator.

The Patriots are probably an OK team. But a month ago, it seemed like people were ready to already slot them in as potential AFC favorites. They had a tough Week 1 matchup with the Seahawks, but they also faced Drew Lock for most of the game. If they can't keep Drew Lock in the loss column, why should I expect them to do any different against Trevor Lawrence?

The A.J. Brown Situation

It has been reported Thursday morning that Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown is dealing with a high ankle sprain after he git injured during the second half on Wednesday evening. While it is likely far too early to start to project just how much time he will miss, it seems clear that his status for the Jaguars' matchup with the Patriots in two weeks will be up in the air. Even if Brown manages to play in 17 days against the Jaguars in Jacksonville, chances are he will be nowhere near 100%.

The Patriots' offense looked woeful for much of Wednesday night against an elite Seahawks defense, and they are not the first offense to struggle against Mike Macdonald. With that in mind, it seemed like the Patriots made zero changes from last year's unit aside from improving its No. 1 receiver spot with Brown. If Brown misses time, it is clear the Patriots will lack the firepower to stress defenses consistently, which would make for an easier afternoon for Anthony Campanile and the Jaguars' pass defense.

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