The New England Patriots won by 17 points last week. That needs to be said, because the commentary around quarterback Drake Maye and the team feels as if this season is already doomed.
It’s only September. The Patriots are 1-1 with a lot of football left to play, and Maye has a prime opportunity to lift everyone’s spirits this week.
An early-season road game at Jacksonville felt brutal when the schedule was announced back in May, but this could actually be a sneaky-good spot for Maye to break out of what has been a six-game funk.
“I think we’re finding ourselves,” Maye told reporters on Wednesday. “I think any time you get into a new season with new guys, new players, and you’re battling injuries — every team in the league is trying to improve. Really, for us, it’s about finding ourselves … but at the same time we have plays that are there. … The coaches can call the plays but we gotta make them go.”
3 reasons the Jaguars could be exactly what slumping Drake Maye needs
The Jaguars like to bring pressure with a high blitz rate
While it’s fair to call Maye’s last six games a slump, dating back to the start of last year’s playoff run, the Patriots have faced some of the top defenses in football over that sample size.
The Texans, Broncos, Seahawks, and Steelers are all unique in that they can generate organic pressure without blitzing, allowing them to run exotic coverage schemes on the back end. The Texans, Seahawks, and Steelers in particular are some of the most zone-heavy teams in football. Maye has notably struggled against some of the split-field and rotational variations, such as Cover 6.
The Patriots should see less zone against the Jaguars. Jacksonville is blitzing at its highest rate since 2021 (36.7%) under second-year defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, and Maye’s been excellent when blitzed this season, completing 78.9% of his passes for 199 yards, per Pete Collins of Boston Sports Zone.
Jacksonville also ranks 14th in man rate on defense. It will be interesting to see how Maye fares against less zone, more man, and a higher blitz percentage this week.
Jacksonville has struggled to defend the pass through two games
Maye talked about it during his presser on Wednesday. The Jaguars are very much a rally-to-the-football type of defense. Through two weeks, they rank 28th in opponent completion percentage at 71.7%. Only the Cowboys, Titans, Buccaneers, and Dolphins have been worse.
They’re also 31st in opponent yards per pass attempt — which is a stat Maye and the Patriots led the NFL in during the 2025 season. It’s an even more telling stat when you consider the competition. Jacksonville has played the Browns and Broncos. Those two teams aren’t exactly known for their explosive passing attacks.
There should be ample opportunities for the Patriots to get completions and yards after the catch in this matchup. The key will be finishing drives with touchdowns, as the Jaguars have surrendered the league’s sixth-fewest points through two games.
Drake Maye can stand the (Florida) heat
Any Florida game in September is brutal, but Maye grew up in North Carolina and played his college ball at UNC. Last year, the Patriots traveled to Miami in Week 2 and Maye posted a 137.2 passer rating.
New England will be playing in Jacksonville’s weather, and the Jaguars have been tough to beat at EverBank Stadium in recent seasons. But if Maye’s going to break out of his slump with a big day, a game outdoors in 80-degree weather falls right in his wheelhouse.
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