Week 3 is where the noise starts to become reality, and Patriots Vs Jaguars looks like a game with a very clear message attached to it: Jacksonville cannot afford another loose, unfocused showing in the middle of the field. After the Week 2 loss at Denver, the Jaguars are staring at an uncomfortable truth. Their interior line is under pressure, and Christian Barmore is exactly the kind of problem that can make it worse.
That is the basic danger here. Dillon Appleman said Barmore can create a similar interior nuisance to what Zach Allen did in Week 2, and that is not flattering company for Jacksonville. He also made the point even more bluntly: Barmore has the power to make life absolute hell for the guards. If the Jaguars were already trying to patch up issues from Denver, this is not the opponent you want arriving next.
Why the Patriots can hit Jacksonville where it hurts
Travis Holmes pointed out that this week’s matchup does not get much easier for those two, with Christian Barmore and Milton Williams on deck. That is the kind of line that should make Jacksonville pause, because the concern is not just one disruptive player. It is the repetition of the same problem from one week to the next. If the interior pocket collapses again, then everything else starts to unravel in a hurry.
Gus Logue added another layer to the issue by noting that the Jaguars will not have an alpha receiver to worry about, while also stressing that they will have to be sure to contain the quarterback in the pocket as well. That matters because it suggests the Patriots can be patient and disciplined rather than reckless. If the Jaguars cannot control the middle, New England does not need to force the issue.
Brian Thomas Jr. cannot afford another quiet day
The other major pressure point is Brian Thomas Jr., and this is where the Jaguars’ own standards become part of the problem. Dillon Appleman was not subtle on the subject, saying he is not sure any skill player in the league needs to stack good performances more than Brian Thomas Jr. That is a heavy line, but it comes with a pretty simple reason: Thomas has to clean up the errors that have cost Jacksonville too much already.
Appleman noted that Thomas dropped a couple of routine balls and missed chances to make game-changing plays for Jacksonville. That is exactly why this matchup matters. In a Week 3 game at EverBank Stadium, the Jaguars do not just need their best receiver to show up; they need him to be reliable. The 2025 season has already shown that his drop issues can become a real storyline, with Thomas near the top of the league in wide receiver drops before the bye week.
So the answer to the obvious questions is straightforward. Christian Barmore is the Patriots player most likely to expose the flaws Jacksonville showed in Week 2, and Brian Thomas Jr. is the Jaguar who needs to start stacking good performances immediately. Patriots Vs Jaguars should not be sold as a mystery. The matchup points are right there in front of everyone, and Jacksonville has to prove it can handle them.
