New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Pick & Prediction OCTOBER 20th 2024

Preview and Prediction

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in dire need of a win, while the New England Patriots are seeking to break their losing streak and continue the growth of their rookie quarterback.

Both teams will strive towards these goals in their upcoming game on Sunday at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

The Patriots, who are in a rebuilding phase, have lost five consecutive games since their Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, the Jaguars, who are playing their second game in London, failed to secure back-to-back wins after their 35-16 loss to the Chicago Bears last week.

Rookie quarterback Drake Maye is expected to make his second career start for the Patriots, having been given the opportunity in last week's 41-21 loss to the Houston Texans. Maye, who was selected as the No. 3 overall pick from North Carolina, had a decent performance with 20 completions out of 33 attempts, 243 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, and an 88.3 passer rating.

Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas expressed excitement about Maye's potential, saying, "We saw a glimpse of what we can do. When we put it all together, I feel like we can be a formidable team."

Maye's performance injected some life into the Patriots' struggling offense, which currently ranks 31st in yards per play (4.3) and yards per pass attempt (5.5). The 21 points scored against the Texans were the highest for the Patriots this season.

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged the need for a better start to their games and sees this week's matchup as an opportunity to do just that. The Patriots have yet to score on their opening drive this season and have failed to pick up a first down in four out of six opening drives.

Mayo also hinted at potential changes to the starting lineup for this week's game, citing a lack of focus as the common denominator for their struggles.

On the other side, the Jaguars are approaching this game as a must-win. After securing their first victory against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, the Jaguars delivered a disappointing performance against another rookie quarterback in their loss to the Bears last week. Facing another promising rookie in Maye, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson is hoping for a better showing from his defense.

Pederson praised Maye's abilities, saying, "He's going to take what he did last week and improve upon it...He's got a big arm, he's a smart kid, he's athletic, he's tough."

The Jaguars struggled to maintain any offensive rhythm in their last game, only managing to score 18 or 19 points. They also have one of the most generous defenses in the league, allowing 6.0 yards per play (30th in NFL) and the second-most points (178).

The Jaguars may also be without their starting tailback, Travis Etienne, who is considered week-to-week with a hamstring injury. In his absence, the Jaguars will rely on Tank Bigsby as their primary running back and D'Ernest Johnson on passing downs. Bigsby had a lackluster performance against the Bears but had a strong showing in Week 5 against the Colts with 101 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Patriots, their No. 1 running back Rhamondre Stevenson did not practice on Wednesday due to a foot injury. Offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (ankle) and cornerback Marcus Jones (groin/illness) also did not practice, while Maye (knee) was a full participant.

The Jaguars also had some limited participants in practice, including Etienne, defensive end Arik Armstead (shoulder), wide receiver Gabe Davis (knee), tight end Evan Engram (hamstring), offensive tackle Anton Harrison (knee), and cornerback Tyson Campbell (hamstring).

PREDICTION

New England Patriots

18

24

Jacksonville Jaguars