JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser examines key storylines from the Jaguars' 35-6 victory over the New England Patriots at EverBank Stadium Sunday

1.Run to win. The Jaguars' victory Sunday was defined by balance and the "complementary football" coaches covet. Within that theme was a strong day by a Jaguars running game that was a major offseason emphasis and that turned in its most effective game of the season with 137 yards and two touchdowns rushing on 37 carries – a 4.6-yards-per-carry performance against a strong Patriots defensive front. "If we can run the ball effectively like that, it just makes everybody's job so much easier," Head Coach Liam Coen said. Third-year running back Bhayshul Tuten, in his third game starting, continued to gain effectiveness and finished Sunday with 73 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and two receptions for 17 yards. Tuten now has 204 yards and two touchdowns rushing on 43 carries this season. "Very proud of Tuten," Coen said. "He has been a pro's pro. He has really grown up before our eyes."

2. Keep running to win. Tuten wasn't the only Jaguars back running strong Sunday, a day that also marked the strongest performance to date this season for veteran running back Chris Rodriguez Jr.. "It felt great," Rodriguez said. Acquired as a restricted free agent this offseason, Rodriguez entered Sunday with 36 yards on 12 carries in two games. He rushed for 37 yards and a touchdown on eight carries against the Patriots. "Chris has been a little frustrated with himself in some ways, with some misreads or maybe some things in the last two games that he wasn't as jacked up about," Coen said. "He had a phenomenal week of practice and we were intentional about what runs we really wanted C-Rod on." Added Rodriguez, "A big shout out to the guys up front. They did their job all day and did it at a high level. I got a bunch of appreciation for those guys."

3.Takeaway time. The Jaguars registered three takeaways Sunday, with all three coming at critical times. A second-quarter fumble recovery by defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton led to the Jaguars' first touchdown, with cornerback Travis Hunter's end-zone interception late in the first half securing a 14-3 halftime lead.

Cornerback Jarrian Jones returned an interception 32 yards late in the third quarter, a play that came one play before Rodriguez's 5-yard run gave the Jaguars a 28-3 lead. "Our DNA showed up," Jones said. "We are really close, and this is a true brotherhood for us. We're really hard on each other in every room, especially the corner room. In a game like this, our DNA showed up."

Coen, after saying throughout the week that the Jaguars needed to practice better in the wake of a loss at Denver, on Sunday praised the defense's work in practice leading to Sunday. "They were super-intentional about playing better coverage throughout the week," Coen said. "Practice performance equals game reality. We got our hands on a ton of balls in practice this week. We were stickier and tighter in coverage. We had better rush lanes and plan, so those guys had confidence going into this week. The whole secondary was ready to respond."

4.Third-and-effective. Among the critical Jaguars statistics Sunday: Eight-of-12 converting third downs into first downs. They also scored five touchdowns on five possessions inside the Patriots' 20-yard line. "The guys just executed so well in critical moments," Coen said. "You look at situational football, with the red zone and third down … with some of those statistics is where I kind of think we won the game in some ways." Coen spoke afterward of "tightening the third-down menu" entering Sunday. "We trimmed down some of the inventory and looked at what plays within the normal game D&D (down-and-distance) gameplan could also into some of those third-down windows. We really focused on what we do best. What do we execute best? What do our guys go out and play fast doing best?" Coen praised quarterback Trevor Lawrence and also praised the Jaguars' receivers for "making some contested catch." Added Coen: "Very proud of the situational awareness."

5.One for the road. The Jaguars after Sunday are 2-0 at EverBank Stadium this season, with Sunday marking their last game in Jacksonville until a Week 8 home game against the Indianapolis Colts on November 1. The Jaguars, who beat the Cleveland Browns 34-10 in Week 1 in Jacksonville, have won their last six games in Jacksonville by a combined 229-65. They will visit the Cincinnati Bengals next week followed by a home game against the Philadelphia Eagles in London and another home game against the Houston Texans – also in London – before a Week 7 bye. "We didn't necessarily talk about the homefield thing, but I do feel it was a sense of urgency for our guys to take advantage of this op," Coen said. "It's a little warmer out. They (the Patriots) are coming down from a Nor'easter. I thought the crowd did a great job. The whole fanbase was really involved in the game. I was very proud of the entire community and fan base."