The New England Patriots found some of what had been missing from their offense in Week 2. Now comes a test that could reveal whether that progress has staying power.
After failing to generate an explosive play in their season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks, New England finally stretched the field in its win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Drake Maye connected on four passes of at least 20 yards, while the Patriots finished with six explosive plays between the passing and running games.
That was an encouraging response from an offense that entered the week facing questions about turnovers, protection and Maye’s early-season play.
Jacksonville, however, presents a particularly interesting next test.
The Jaguars lean heavily on a coverage structure that has challenged Maye, and their defensive approach could force the Patriots quarterback to prove he can solve a problem opponents have increasingly put in front of him.
Jaguars’ Cover 6 Defense Presents Challenge for Drake Maye
Jacksonville has played Cover 6 on 19.6% of its defensive snaps since the beginning of the 2025 season, according to an analysis published Wednesday on the Patriots’ official website. That ranks second in the NFL over that span, trailing only Philadelphia.
That matters for New England because Maye has had his share of difficulty against quarter-quarter-half coverage structures over the past two seasons.
The idea behind Cover 6 is relatively straightforward even if beating it isn’t. Defenses can protect against vertical throws, cloud portions of the field and force a quarterback to stay patient rather than hunting the explosive plays that fueled New England’s offense a week ago.
Maye knows what defenses are trying to accomplish.
“They’re trying to take away some of the boundary, 1-on-1 stuff. You can see that teams are trying to do that, have the field safety play in their run game and try to fit him. So, you see more teams trying to mix it up and try to cloud one side, cloud the other, and really try to keep things in front,” Maye said.
“They’re trying to play split safety, let the guys up front stop the run and let the guys up front eat. So, realizing that also at the same time, just knowing that there are still holes and we have some chances to make plays.”
That final point could become one of the defining pieces of Sunday’s matchup.
Jacksonville isn’t simply sitting back and asking Maye to patiently work underneath. Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile has also dialed up blitzes at a 36.7% rate, ninth-highest in the league.
For Maye, that creates a balancing act. He will have to take what Jacksonville gives him without becoming overly conservative, while identifying the opportunities that do exist for New England to attack.
Patriots May Already Have an Answer for Jaguars’ Defense
The matchup isn’t entirely tilted toward Jacksonville.
One of the more encouraging developments for the Patriots against Pittsburgh was Josh McDaniels’ willingness to get Maye moving.
New England has used a moving pocket on 10.1% of Maye’s dropbacks this season, 13th among 32 qualified quarterbacks, according to the Patriots’ analysis. One of those designs helped spring Romeo Doubs for a 63-yard gain against the Steelers.
That could become particularly important in Jacksonville.
Since the start of 2025, the Jaguars rank 25th in EPA per dropback against moving pockets and 27th in EPA against option runs. Denver attacked that vulnerability last week, calling six designed rollouts for Bo Nix. He completed four of six passes for 61 yards on those plays.
The Patriots have the quarterback to threaten Jacksonville in similar ways.
Maye’s mobility has always been one of the most dangerous parts of his game, but using it doesn’t have to mean asking him to scramble when protection breaks down. Moving the launch point by design can change the picture for Maye while making life more difficult for Jacksonville’s pass rush.
That leaves McDaniels with an intriguing chess match Sunday.
The Jaguars have a coverage structure capable of testing one of Maye’s weaker areas. The Patriots, meanwhile, may have already put pieces of the counterattack on film.
After rediscovering their big-play ability in Week 2, the next step is showing they can keep it against a defense specifically constructed to make those plays harder to find.
For Maye, that makes Jacksonville much more than the Patriots’ next opponent. It’s an early opportunity to show he can solve a problem defenses aren’t likely to stop presenting him anytime soon.
Patriots Face Familiar Drake Maye Problem Against Jaguars in Week 3