How the Pats helped QB Drake Maye succeed in his second career start against the Jaguars

Although it's not their typical approach, there are glimpses of Pederson's past on the Jags tape. Above, Jacksonville follows a concept that Pederson calls “Deacon,” where there is a low-mesh (flat crosser) concept with a deep groove that adds layers to the game. The Eagles ran plays like “Deacon” and mesh rail (Clement TD) to attack the Pats’ man coverages.

If the Patriots take away Lawrence's strengths, one would expect Pederson to move on to his old stalwarts. The Jags have the tools to cause defensive problems for the Pats. So we'll see if Covington and Mayo have answers to those repeat plays on Jacksonville's call sheet on Sunday.

Pats WR DeMario Douglas vs. Jags NDB Darnell Savage

It's great that the Patriots have a wideout who deserves a spot in important games. After signing as a free agent this offseason, Savage played more in the slot than just free safety, where he started in Green Bay. When he's above the slot against Pop, that's a clear advantage for Douglas, as was the case last week against a similar player, Texas nickel safety Jalen Pitre. The Jags are allowing a league-worst 128.3 passer rating to slot receivers this season. I'm not a betting man, but I might take control of Pop's receiving yards and Drake Maye's rushing yards this week.

Pats Left Tackle (?) vs. Jags EDGE Josh Hines-Allen

We're not sure who the Patriots will be starting at left tackle on Sunday. But if we had to guess, the starting lineup could be LT Trey Jacobs, LG Michael Jordan, C Ben Brown, RG Sow/Robinson, and RT Michael Onwenu.

Hines-Allen is an explosive edge rusher who ranks 12th among all defenders with 24 quarterback pressures. Hines-Allen likes to win with speed, using a chop-rip and an explosive inside-out rush to turn corners. Hines-Allen and Travon Walker are the potential game-wreckers on the Jaguars' defense.

Pats Right Tackle (?) vs. Jags EDGE Travon Walker

On the other hand, Walker hasn't necessarily lived up to the hype for the number one overall pick. However, he is still an athletic freak with 23 QB pressures and five sacks this season. Walker is capable of having great games, like his three-sack, seven-QB performance against Indy in Week 5.

EDGE Keion White vs. Jags RT Anton Harrison

During the 2023 draft process, Harrison was on pretty much all of our major boards as a Patriots target. He ended up being taken 28th overall by Jacksonville, and as a warning that we don't have all the answers, Harrison is struggling in the NFL. He has already allowed 15 pressures and two sacks this season. The Jags have a strong interior O-line in pass protection, with C Mitch Morse and RG Brandon Scherff ranking in the top 15 in pass block win rate, so White may need to build his pressure against the weak link on the outside.

Bonus: Patriots cornerbacks vs. Jaguars wide receivers

Because of the way Jacksonville uses its receivers, this could be a side game for the Patriots CBs and not one to play in a specific matchup. Davis and Thomas Jr. each run over 77% of their routes outside, while Kirk is a full-time slot receiver. These two outsiders are pretty much redundant with an even target share. Lawrence targets Thomas Jr. on 20.9% of his shots while Davis sees a target share of 17.3%, and both are strong threats. It appears that a similar coverage plan will need to be implemented for Davis and BTJ.