In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't all that long ago that the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots squared off against one another. For that, you have to go back to the 2024 regular season, when they went toe to toe in a Week 7 contest at Wembley Stadium in London. Again, that was less than two years ago.
That said, it feels like a lifetime has passed between then and now for both franchises. While they each will have the same quarterback under center they had back in 2024 on Sunday, the situations are wildly different. For the Patriots, they hired Mike Vrabel after the 2024 campaign, and he was able to help springboard them to a 14-3 regular season in 2025, which culminated in a Super Bowl LX appearance.
Over that span, Maye also emerged as an MVP candidate, finishing second behind Matthew Stafford. As for the Jags, they had a similar ascent. Liam Coen was hired the same offseason as Vrabel and helped catapult them to a 13-4 regular season and an AFC South title.
Lawrence also enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career under Coen. Now, the roads lead them back against one another, and they're each looking to build off the momentum from the previous campaign. So far this season, both Jacksonville and New England are 1-1 and eyeing their second victory of the young season on Sunday in Duval County.
As we gear up for this AFC showdown, let's help you figure out how to watch this head-to-head, while also highlighting several storylines, as well as handing out our prediction. This is going to be a tightly contested matchup between two playoff hopefuls in the AFC. For New England, the big X-factor could be the offensive line, specifically after starting right guard Mike Onwenu suffered a season-ending ankle injury last week.
With Greg Van Roten likely slotting in for him as the starter, it'll be worth monitoring if there is any leakage and added pressure on Maye from that side. Josh Hines-Allen didn't record a pressure last week, so he'll be chomping at the bit to get after the quarterback in Week 3, which could help tip the scales in favor of Jacksonville. The Jaguars are 9-0 straight up as a favorite under Liam Coen, while the Patriots are 8-1 straight up under Vrabel on the road.
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