Jaguars-Patriots: 5 Observations

What did we see in the Jacksonville Jaguars' 32-16 win over the New England Patriots in Week 7?

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) shake hands after an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars needed that one.

Nobody is going to be scheduling a Super Bowl parade after a win over the now 1-6 New England Patriots, but the Jaguars' 32-16 win in London was one they couldn't afford to miss out on.

So, what did we see out of the Jaguars' second win of the year and what does it mean moving forward? We break it down with our five observations below.

Tank Bigsby has staked his claim to the backfield

There was already a strong case to make for Tank Bigsby to start eating into Travis Etienne's carries. Bigsby has been on a tear over the last month, rushing for 333 yards, four touchdowns and averaging 6.2 yards per carry in his last four games.

This includes two 100-yard games and one game that was just 10 yards away from hitting the century mark. Bigsby has been absolutely dominant in Year 2.

The question moving forward now is how much of Travis Etienne's carries should Bigsby eat into. Etienne will still have a role as a passing-down back over Bigsby when he returns from his hamstring injury, but it is tough to make a case for Etienne over Bigsby as the focal point of the rushing attack right now.

Trevor Lawrence is on a roll

There is no question the first month of the season wasn't kind to Trevor Lawrence. The former No. 1 pick and new big-money franchise quarterback went through one of the worst four-game stretches of his career, with Weeks 2-4 being especially off the mark.

Lawrence simply looked not himself during the rough period, missing downfield throws he normally hits, showing poor poise in the pocket, and having bits of inaccuracy.

In the last three weeks, though, Lawrence has played some strong football. This continued on Sunday, with Lawrence being one Christian Kirk foot away from having a 200-yard, two-touchdown day. The Jaguars didn't need to use Lawrence to put the Patriots away in the second-half, but his recent resurgence continued in Week 7 and is now officially a trend.

Defense made adjustments, but needs more answers

The Jaguars' defense looked a bit different this week thanks to the return of Tyson Campbell. With Campbell manning one outside spot, the Jaguars also moved Darnell Savage to safety and rotated Antonio Johnson and Jarrian Jones in the slot.

Savage had been playing well in the slot, but the Jaguars needed a big boost at safety.

While the Jaguars played well in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, they did let a rookie quarterback in Drake Maye led three easy scoring drives in the 1st and 4th. Maye was flawless on an opening drive touchdown, while penalties and dropped interceptions also hurt the Jaguars. Jacksonville's defense went against likely the worst offense they will face this year, but they still had plenty of struggles.

Doug Pederson's job is safe for today

Doug Pederson and his coaching staff can breathe a little easier on their plane ride back home to the United States, even if they are far from out of the woods yet.

There were rumblings throughout the week about what owner Shad Khan might do if the Jaguars lost to New England in London, and it was clear when cameras were on Khan when the game was 10-0 that he was not happy about his team's performance.

The Jaguars turned it around after that point, though, scoring 25 unanswered points and answering to adversity for the first time almost all season.

Pederson and the Jaguars need to somehow find wins in a brutal second-half schedule to keep their jobs for 2025, but Khan saw the 2022 Jaguars go from 2-6 to the playoffs. It is unlikely it will happen again, but Pederson and co. at least bought themselves some time.

Brian Thomas Jr. continues his OROY-level season

If the 2024 season ended today, there is a good chance Brian Thomas Jr. would be on the ballot to become the first Jaguars player to ever win a Rookie of the Year award.

He would have some obvious competition from LSU teammates Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers, but the No. 23 pick is on a ridiculous pace after another huge game.

Thomas caught five passes for 89 yards and a touchdown against New England, which included a massive 58-yard catch over star cornerback Christian Gonzalez and a two-point conversion catch over the same ascending defender. Thomas now has four touchdowns on the year and is on pace for 1,245 receiving yards. He is a geniune star.

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