Jaguars turn late third-quarter surge into 35-6 win over Patriots

The game swung hard in the final minute of the third

A scoreless opening quarter kept the afternoon level, but Jacksonville found the first clean break at 13:25 of the second when Trevor Lawrence hit Josh Cameron for a 12-yard touchdown. New England answered with Andy Borregales' 35-yard field goal, trimming the deficit to 7-3, before the Jaguars restored control on Lawrence's 10-yard scoring pass to Jakobi Meyers with 4:23 left in the half.

That 14-3 margin still left the Patriots within reach. Then came the sequence that effectively ended the competitive part of the game. With 1:08 remaining in the third quarter, Lawrence found Parker Washington for a 17-yard touchdown. Eighteen seconds later, Jacksonville had the ball in again and Chris Rodriguez Jr. finished from five yards out for a 28-3 lead.

New England managed only one more answer, Borregales' 40-yard field goal at 13:17 of the fourth. Bhayshul Tuten closed the scoring from a yard out with 8:02 left, capping Jacksonville's fifth touchdown in five red-zone visits and locking in a result that looked much more lopsided on the scoreboard than in raw yardage.

Efficiency separated two offences with little room between them

At first glance, the total-yardage line barely suggests a blowout. New England finished with 317 yards, Jacksonville with 315. The more revealing numbers sit elsewhere. The Jaguars produced 23 first downs to the Patriots' 17, converted 8 of 12 third downs and scored touchdowns on every red-zone trip. New England went 4 of 12 on third down and came away empty on all three red-zone possessions.

Lawrence's passing line fit that efficient theme. He completed 19 of 29 throws for 182 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception. Meyers led Jacksonville's receivers with seven catches for 64 yards and a score, Washington added three catches for 40 yards and a touchdown, and Cameron turned his lone catch into the opening touchdown. On the ground, Tuten ran 15 times for 73 yards and a score, while Rodriguez added 37 yards and a touchdown on eight carries.

The Patriots had useful individual receiving numbers but almost no finishing power. Drake Maye threw for 199 yards, but he was intercepted twice and lost a fumble. Mack Hollins caught six passes for 87 yards, Romeo Doubs added three for 49, and DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams each supplied one explosive gain. New England never paired those plays with the kind of sustained execution Jacksonville found near the goal line. The run game also stalled out, producing 83 yards on 26 attempts, with no Patriot rushing for more than 23 yards.

Our take: Jacksonville finished; New England stalled

This was one of those games where the final score can mislead if the only question is who moved the ball. New England moved it enough to stay in contact for a half. Jacksonville simply treated its chances with far more care. Five red-zone trips became five touchdowns. Three Patriot red-zone trips became no touchdowns at all. That single contrast explains almost everything about 35-6.

There were other supporting reasons. Jacksonville protected itself better, committing one turnover to New England's three. It stayed on schedule more often, as the 8-for-12 third-down mark shows, and it added just enough on the ground to keep the offence balanced at 137 rushing yards. Even Lawrence's lone interception was absorbed because the rest of the afternoon was so tidy: three touchdown passes, two rushing scores and only one sack taken.

For Jacksonville, the encouraging part is that this was not a one-note performance. Lawrence distributed the ball to several targets, and the running game supplied two touchdowns. The area to watch is whether that efficiency stays this sharp when every red-zone trip does not end perfectly; the Jaguars averaged 5.2 yards per play, good rather than overwhelming. For New England, the priorities are clearer. The Patriots need cleaner ball security, fewer drive-killing penalties and a better answer near the goal line. With three turnovers, nine penalties for 68 yards and an 0-for-3 red-zone day, they made the margin feel bigger than the yardage ever did.

Scoring moments

1. Period 2 · 13:25

   Josh Cameron 12 Yd pass from Trevor Lawrence (Cam Little Kick)

2. Period 2 · 9:09

   Andy Borregales 35 Yd Field Goal

3. Period 2 · 4:23

   Jakobi Meyers 10 Yd pass from Trevor Lawrence (Cam Little Kick)

4. Period 3 · 1:08

   Parker Washington 17 Yd pass from Trevor Lawrence (Cam Little Kick)

5. Period 3 · 0:50

   Chris Rodriguez Jr. 5 Yd Rush (Cam Little Kick)

6. Period 4 · 13:17

   Andy Borregales 40 Yd Field Goal

7. Period 4 · 8:02

   Bhayshul Tuten 1 Yd Rush (Cam Little Kick)