Preview of Patriots and Jaguars: Which 1-5 Team Needs a Win More in London?
Both the Patriots and the Jaguars enter into this game 1-5 on the season. The Patriots, to nobody’s surprise, are one of the worst teams in the NFL, as they are clearly in the midst of a rebuild. However, Patriot fans are hopeful as they are attempting to usher in a new era in Foxborough with Drake Maye, who is slated to make his second career start for the team. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are nowhere near where they expected to be at this point in the season. With a loss in London, it could potentially mean mass panic for the organization. So, what are the keys to the game for each team to avoid a dreadful 1-6 record?
Patriots: Capitalize in the Red Zone!
It is rare that you find two teams facing off against one another who are both the worst in the league in a certain category. The Patriots have the worst offensive red zone conversion percentage at 36% in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Jaguars’ defense allows opposing offenses to score touchdowns 76% of the time they get into the red zone, which is also the worst in the league. If the Patriots’ offense can get the ball moving more offensively with the more dynamic Drake Maye at quarterback, they will have to take advantage of the Jaguars’ poor red zone defense. If this Patriots offense frequently settles for field goals when they are within striking distance of the endzone, they will lose this game-handedly.
Jaguars: Don’t Forget to Run the Ball!
The Jaguars offensive strategy has been really weird all year long. Ever since Trevor Lawrence signed his massive deal, Doug Peterson has felt the need to feature his quarterback. Trevor Lawrence hasn’t played that great all year, and sure enough, in the only game that he had a passer rating above 100, they won the game. However, this also means that if Trevor struggles, the team is going down with him. This makes no sense, given that the Jaguars average the second-most yards per rush attempt in the league. Although they are highly effective in the ground game, they also average the third-fewest rush attempts per game. The Jaguars can have an effective offense in this game if they maintain a good offensive balance between the passing and rushing attacks. If the Jaguars’ offensive struggles again and they lose, Doug Peterson will likely be left without a job.
