The New England Patriots are rolling into Jacksonville for Week 3 after a Week 2 victory that came with a nasty injury bug. This trip is no casual stroll, especially when you look at what the Jaguars are doing on defense. This is a unit that’s going to test everything the Patriots think they know, starting with that offensive line, which is already a huge question mark.
Jags’ Defensive Schemes Are Built To Terrify
Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile didn’t just fall off the turnip truck; this guy has serious coaching pedigree. He came up under defensive gurus like Vic Fangio, Brian Flores, and Jeff Hafley. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels even said, “He’s got his own style… he’s got his own personality. You can see it on the film. There’s games where they do some different things and challenge you schematically.” What does that mean for the Patriots? It means chaos. Campanile leans hard into zone coverages, running them more than 75% of the time. And if you’re talking about that notorious Cover 6, the Jaguars have deployed it at the second-highest rate in the NFL since 2025 with strong results, only behind Fangio himself. But wait, there’s more! Campanile also loves some exotic blitz packages, sending extra rushers at the ninth-highest rate in the league at 36.7%. They’ve also got a unique rotation in the secondary with four cornerbacks,Montaric Brown, Jarring Jones, Travis Hunter, and Jourdan Lewis,all playing significant snaps between 53% and 77% of the time. Upfront, Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are bookending a unit that’s solid, even if it’s not the world-beater group the Patriots saw the last two weeks. Their aggressive style gets results, too: Jacksonville has forced three turnovers in just two games this season after ranking second in the NFL last year with 31.
Can They Exploit Jacksonville’s Aggression While Protecting Maye?
Here’s the kicker: that same aggression the Jaguars thrive on can be a huge vulnerability. They’ve been one of the NFL’s worst deep-pass defenses through the first two games. Think back to Denver’s game plan: they found serious success getting Bo Nix on the move, and you can bet the Patriots are looking at that film, thinking about how Drake Maye could replicate it. But all of this hinges on the Patriots’ offensive line, which is facing its own crisis. The injury to Onwenu? That could easily prove to be an absolute disaster for the O-line. When Onwenu went down, Van Roten stepped in, and the performance was, frankly, scary awful. Van Roten admitted he was rusty, which is fair considering he only signed weeks ago, and he played solid football at right guard for the Giants last season. But still, the question is hanging heavy: will someone else like Walter Rouse or Lomu get a shot at guard next week? The Patriots need answers, fast.
This Week 3 clash in Jacksonville is more than just another game. It’s a massive test for the Patriots’ offense and a true gauge of whether they can protect their quarterback and exploit defensive weaknesses while dealing with their own issues up front. It’s going to be a battle, and we’ll see if they can weather the storm.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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