JACKSONVILLE – This was a big-time response, with a trademark dose of grit and grime.

The Jaguars threw in some timely flash, too.

Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdowns and the Jaguars combined a gritty, strong running game with grimy, big-play defense to pull away for an early-season victory Sunday – 35-6 over the defending AFC Champion New England Patriots at EverBank Stadium.

"It was the response we were looking for," Head Coach Liam Coen said, with wide receiver Parker Washington adding. "How we responded was the best part."

"We attacked this week, focused in on just the response and focused in just on practice, and Liam said we were ready, and we were ready," Washington said.

The Jaguars needed this one after their first loss of the 2026 season, and they got it in impressive fashion – never trailing and removing Lawrence before game's end for the second time in three games to start the season.

"I thought we played really well," said Lawrence, who completed 19 of 29 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. "We were just ready to play. We had a great plan. Guys were flying around. At the end of the day, that's what it's about, the players executing the plan.

"You have to have a good plan and I feel like we did, but it's about us going out there and owning it and playing fast and attacking and I thought we did all those things today."

The Jaguars (2-1), after losing a 13-3 third-quarter lead in in a 20-13 road loss to the Denver Broncos last week, won a sixth consecutive regular-season home game and lead the AFC South by a game over the second-place Indianapolis Colts (1-2). Houston and Tennessee are both 0-3, with the Colts beating the Texans Sunday.

"We wanted to learn from our lessons from last week," Jaguars nose tackle DaVon Hamilton said. "We needed to learn how to finish a game. That's what we did today. That's the culture of our team as a whole.

"We're not going to win every single game, but we can learn from anything. That's what we did today."

Added Hamilton, "It's always critical. You try to win every game you go out here and play. This was no different."

Lawrence's two first-half touchdowns – to wide receivers Josh Cameron and Jakobi Meyers – gave the Jaguars a 14-3 halftime lead, with the Jaguars scoring two third-quarter touchdowns in 18 seconds to enter the fourth quarter with a 25-point lead.

Lawrence's third touchdown pass went to Washington, who made a remarkable front-of-the-end-zone reception despite pass interference on third-and-goal from the 17 to give the Jaguars a three-score lead with 1:08 remaining in the third quarter.

Cornerback Jarrian Jones' 32-yard interception return on the ensuing play from scrimmage set up a five-yard run by running back Chris Rodriguez to give the Jaguars a 28-3 lead.

"If we're doing what we're supposed to do, it's supposed to look like that," Jones said of the victory.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed 14 of 25 passes for 199 yards and no touchdowns with two interceptions, with a lost second-quarter fumble that led to the Jaguars' first touchdown - a short pass over the middle from Lawrence to Cameron.

The Jaguars' defense was credited with three sacks – a team sack on Maye's fumble, a second-quarter sack by defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro and a shared third-quarter sack by rookie defensive Bryan Thomas Jr./Hamilton.

"We came out and responded, especially from what we wanted to emphasize on last week," defensive end Travon Walker. "From start to finish, I feel like we did our job. Every side of the ball played complementary ball. It was a great feeling.

"We talked about who could sustain doing right the longest. We went out and executed on that, with guys doing their jobs and not worried about too much else."

The defense also registered three takeaways, with cornerback Travis Hunter registering his first career interception – an end-zone interception off Maye to preserve a 14-3 lead with 1:02 remaining in the second quarter.

"It felt great, but I was on to the next play," Hunter said of his first career interception. "That happened in the second quarter, so I had to finish the game. Interceptions are great to catch but I was focused on winning the game and continuing to focus on the next play."

2026 Week 3, Step by step:

• Hamilton's recovery of a fumble by Maye stopped a drive and gave the Jaguars possession at their 38 with 3:52 remaining in the first quarter.
• Cameron's 12-yard reception from Lawrence capped a 10-play, 62-yard drive on the possession after Hamilton's fumble recovery for a 7-0 Jaguars lead with 13:29 remaining in the second quarter: Lawrence's 18-yard pass to Washington on third-and-5 from the Jaguars 43 keyed the drive. Kicker Andy Borregales' 35-yard field goal with 9:12 remaining cut the lead to 7-3, a field goal that came four plays after cornerback Marcus Jones' interception off a Lawrence pass that deflected off tight end Brenton Strange's hands and gave the Patriots possession at the Jaguars 21. Meyers' 10-yard pass from Lawrence capped a nine-play, 65-yard drive on the ensuing possession and extended the lead to 14-3 with 4:23 remaining in the second quarter.
• Washington's 17-yard reception late in the third quarter capped a 15-play, 72-yard drive that consumed 8:42. The Jaguars pushed the lead to 28-3 with Rodriguez's 5-run with :50 remaining in the quarter.
• Borregales' 40-yard field goal cut the lead to 28-6 with 13:21 remaining, with Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten's 1-yard run with 8:02 remaining pushing the lead to 35-6.

Notable: Lawrence's second touchdown pass of the game – the 10-yarder to Meyers - moved him past Blake Bortles into second place on the franchise's career touchdown passing list with 104. Quinn Ewers, acquired by the Jaguars via trade shortly before the season, was active for the first time this season and backed up Lawrence. Ewers was inactive for each of the first two games of the season, with the Jaguars elevating Nick Mullens from the practice squad to backup Lawrence in those two games. The Jaguars' six inactive players Sunday: Rookie wide receiver CJ Williams, veteran guard Daniel Faalele, rookie defensive tackle Albert Regis (elbow), rookie defensive end Wesley Williams, linebacker Jack Kiser and rookie safety Jalen Huskey.