3 Biggest Game-Changers in Jaguars' Win

The Jacksonville Jaguars were clicking on all cylinders against the New England Patriots on Sunday. Here were arguably the three biggest game changers for the Jaguars against the Patriots.

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (4) celebrates with offensive tackle Anton Harrison (77) after scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run against the New England Patriots in the first half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars faced a must-win game in their matchup against the New England Patriots. It was the second consecutive week the Jaguars played in London but the results differed from most of the other Jaguars games this season.

Jacksonville played undoubtedly the best game they have as a team all season, resoundingly beating the Patriots. After a 1-5 start to the season, the Jaguars could not afford a loss to another team with only one win this season. Here were a few of the most significant playmakers for the Jaguars on Sunday.

Running Back Tank Bigsby

The Jaguars entered the game with one of the highest rushing totals of any team in the National Football League. However, they also entered the game missing one-half of arguably the top running back duo in the league, as running back Travis Etienne missed Sunday's game.

That was no problem for the Jaguars' offense, as they rushed for over 170 yards against the Patriots, with most of those yards coming from running back Tank Bigsby. In a game the Jaguars had to win, Bigsby exploded for his best game of the season. Bigsby had just the kind of game an offense hopes for, pacing the Jaguars' offense with 118 yards while averaging nearly five yards per carry.

Jaguars Defense Shuts Down Patriots

The Jaguars defense suffered multiple injuries to critical players this season. Those injuries led to the unit struggling over the last few weeks after a relatively strong start to the season. However, after the return of multiple players, the Jaguars' defense played an excellent game against the Patriots on Sunday.

On Sunday, Jacksonville's defense held the Patriots to less than 40 rushing yards, and the Patriots averaged only 2.5 yards per carry. The Jaguars defense held quarterback Drake Maye to a 41.3 quarterback rating and sacked the rookie quarterback twice.

Flexibility of Jaguars Receiving Corps

Jaguars quarterback Lawrence undoubtedly played the best game of the season, as he threw for nearly 200 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. Lawrence targeted six different pass-catchers, completing passes to five of them. He finished the game with a 121.5 passer rating.

Jacksonville's ability to spread the ball to multiple pass catchers made their offense even more effective, as the running game was also working. Sunday was likely what Jaguars coach Doug Pederson imagined the offense would look like before the season began.

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