Jaguars-Patriots: 3 Things to Watch

What are the top storylines entering Week 7 as the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare for the New England Patriots?

Oct 17, 2024; Watford, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) carries the ball during practice at The Grove. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For the Jacksonville Jaguars' brass to keep their jobs safe, they need to find some way, any way, to turn the season around and start winning.

After a disastrous 1-5 start that has sunk a season that started off with so much hope, the Jaguars will need to rebound against a similarly struggling New England Patriots team in London.

So, what are the top storylines to track as the Jaguars look to get the much-needed, desperation-time win? We break it down below.

Can the Jaguars force Drake Maye to struggle?

Rookie quarterback Drake Maye had a solid NFL debut last week against the Houston Texans, throwing for three touchdowns despite facing one of the NFL's best pass-rush units and behind one of the NFL's worst offensive lines, Maye has the goods as a quarterback, with his biggest flaw being his inexperience.

That inexperience is exactly what the Jaguars need to lean on as they look to rebound defensively. Maye is a plus-athlete with a cannon of an arm, but he is still bound to make rookie mistakes -- especially in his second NFL start. The Jaguars got shredded by a rookie quarterback last weekend, and they can't afford to let it happen again.

Can the pass-rush depth see an uptick?

The Jaguars' pass-rush has been an interesting -- and disappointing -- dynamic in 2024. Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are playing well and getting after the passer, but they are not getting much help from the interior defensive line. And since there are only three true defensive ends on the entire roster, the Jaguars don't have edge depth behind the duo.

According to NextGenStats: "The Jaguars are one of six teams to have multiple defenders with 20+ pressures this season (Josh Hines-Allen: 23, Travon Walker: 22). However, the Jaguars have struggled to generate production outside of that duo with no other Jaguars’ defender with double digit pressures this season. As a whole, the Jaguars have generated the 3rd-lowest pressure rate in the NFL (26.9%)."

In short, the Jaguars' pass-rush has been a two-man show all season. Can they change that this week against the NFL's worst offense in terms of pressure rate allowed? That has to be the hope because if they can't, then the Jaguars' pass-rush is truly going to be entirely relied upon Hines-Allen and Walker the rest of the way.

Can Trevor Lawrence continue his recent streak?

It is hard to say that Trevor Lawrence's two best games of the season haven't come in the past two weeks. He wasn't perfect against the Chicago Bears, with one interception and one badly-missed downfield throw to Brian Thomas mixed in. But the Jaguars also dropped four touchdown passes and Lawrence looked in command and accurate throughout the day. And, of course, he had one of the best games of his career in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts.

Lawrence absolutely went through a tough stretch earlier this season, with poor performances against the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, and Houston Texans. But he has found some consistency over the last two weeks that should have the Jaguars more than encouraged. If he can repeat the strong performance this week, the Jaguars should have a good chance.

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