Christian Gonzalez intercepts two passes as New England Patriots rout Jacksonville Jaguars 44-16 in Week 3

Jacksonville, FL - The New England Patriots established an advantage, steadily widened it and left Jacksonville with a 44-16 victory over the Jaguars in Week 3.

New England paired a measured offensive performance with a defense that repeatedly disrupted Jacksonville. The Patriots finished with 373 offensive yards, reached the red zone six times and scored on every one of those trips, producing five touchdowns and a field goal. On defense, they collected five sacks and two interceptions.

The Jaguars found occasional explosive production, but sustained offense was difficult to maintain. They managed three first downs, converted 2 of 12 third downs and went 0-for-3 on fourth down. New England, by comparison, recorded 17 first downs and converted 10 of 17 third-down attempts.

That contrast fit the broad shape of the afternoon. The Patriots played from ahead and continued creating separation, while Jacksonville struggled to string together enough productive possessions to apply consistent pressure. By the time New England had pulled away, its offense had produced 229 passing yards and 144 rushing yards.

Drake Maye completed 25 of 35 passes for 229 yards and an 88.8 passer rating. He did not rely on one dominant receiving target. Hunter Henry caught five passes for 71 yards, while Romeo Doubs finished with six receptions for 66 yards. Both had a long reception of 24 yards, matching Maye's longest completion of the game.

"We were able to stay patient and keep taking what was there," Maye said. "Ten conversions on third down is something we can feel good about, and when we got into scoring position, we finished those trips. That's the kind of consistency we want."

New England also received touchdowns from two running backs. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed 13 times for 58 yards and scored twice, and TreVeyon Henderson carried 19 times for 77 yards with one touchdown. Their combined production gave the Patriots a steady backfield complement to Maye's passing.

The red-zone numbers were especially clean. New England scored five touchdowns and kicked one field goal across its six visits, finishing each opportunity with points. The Patriots' ability to keep adding to the scoreboard turned an early advantage into a comfortable margin as the game progressed.

Jacksonville's offense faced a much different afternoon. Trevor Lawrence completed 8 of 22 passes for 111 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, finishing with a 30.6 passer rating. His longest completion covered 68 yards, but the Jaguars' passing game otherwise produced limited volume.

Christian Gonzalez recorded both New England interceptions and totaled 44 return yards. Gabe Jacas supplied 3.5 sacks, while Harold Landry III recorded 1.5 to account for the Patriots' five sacks.

"When the ball came our way, we finished the play," Gonzalez said. "Two interceptions is a great result, but the whole defense was active. Five sacks and the way everybody stayed involved gave us a lot to build on."

Jakobi Meyers provided Jacksonville's most explosive production. He rushed once for 73 yards and a touchdown, then caught two passes for 71 yards and another score. His receiving line included a 68-yard catch. Those bursts stood out on an afternoon when the Jaguars finished with 111 passing yards and 239 offensive yards.

"Two-for-12 on third down is not where we need to be, and the interceptions are on me," Lawrence said. "We had some big gains, but we didn't have enough consistent production around them. The final score tells you we have plenty to correct."

Jacksonville did finish with 128 rushing yards, but New England held the overall advantages in passing yards, offensive yards and first downs. The Patriots also avoided the fourth-down failures that appeared in the Jaguars' final line, with Jacksonville unable to convert any of its three attempts.

For New England, the result was a complete statistical performance: 44 points, 373 offensive yards, five red-zone touchdowns, five sacks and two takeaways. Jacksonville emerged with a few explosive highlights, but the Patriots owned the larger share of productive snaps and departed with a 28-point Week 3 win.

Up Next

The New England Patriots will travel to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 looking to follow up the victory, while the Jacksonville Jaguars head to the Cincinnati Bengals seeking a response to the loss.