JACKSONVILLE – Team reporter Kainani Stevens each week during the 2026 regular season will speak with a media member covering the Jaguars' opponent.
Up this week:
Kendra Middleton, a Jacksonville native and host at Boston's 98.5 the Sports Hub, discusses the offseason in New England and previews the Patriots’ Week 3 matchup against the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium.
Q: Fill us in on the offseason for the Patriots. They made it all the way to the Super Bowl following the 2025 season, but it didn't end the way they wanted. What is different this season for New England?
A: The Patriots brought in wide receivers Romeo Doubs from the Green Bay Packers and A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles as the big additions this season. The biggest thing wasn't a change they made, but bringing cornerback Christian Gonzalez back. They are really committing to their homegrown talent, and I think that was the biggest statement that they made in the offseason and through two weeks. I know they're 1-1, but it's still really paid off.
Q: The New England defense has been so strong. Gonzalez in the secondary, but also what they have done in the middle with the pass rush. It feels like Head Coach Mike Vrabel has the Patriots' defense operating at another level. Have you seen that success from last season continue into the first two weeks of this season?
A: I agree with Pro Football Focus, which named New England the best secondary in the NFL. Having that allows you to commit more resources to creating pressure. Are they the most talented pass rush in the league? No, not by any means. But when you have a secondary that you can trust, you can really send your guys at the quarterback. It's the bread and butter of a Mike Vrabel defense, figuring it out even when you don't have the best available talent. They're going to give the Jaguars some work this weekend. I know that they have some injuries, but it's time for this defense to step up and level out.
Q: People can be critical in Boston, but is the Drake Maye situation at quarterback dire as people make it out to be? Is it just an offensive line issue and feeling rushed? How would you assess where Maye is currently?
A: I've watched the game from this weekend (a 20-3 Week 2 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers) back, and I think that the offensive line is better than people are giving them credit for and better than they may seem in real time. So, I don't think that that's really the issue for Maye. I think it's more about a lack of confidence. He has played a lot of really strong defenses over his last ten games, and I don't think people are giving him enough credit for that. Brown goes down. Romeo Doubs is probably somewhere in the middle of who we've seen him be the last two weeks. I just think Maye needs to slow down and take the easy checkdown from time to time. He's entering his third year. People in Jacksonville might relate to this because when Trevor Lawrence was in his third year, there was a lot of noise. Maye really does remind me of Lawrence dealing with that conversation and noise around the program. I wouldn't want to be in anyone else's quarterback situation in the league. They have a guy in Maye who took them to the Super Bowl in his second year. People just need to chill. Quarterbacks take a while to develop in this league and it's okay. I learned that lesson watching Lawrence and some of these other young guys around the league.
Q: Can you give me two X-factor players for the Patriots that need to play well Sunday?
A: Offensively, I'm going to go with Romeo Doubs. In the Patriots' first game against Seattle, he had some major drops. He wasn't expecting to be a wide receiver No. 1 in this offense. It reminds me of that meme that says, "I accidentally became important at work and it's ruining my life." Kidding, but it was kind of a butterfingers day for him. If the Patriots are going to be successful, that's got to be their guy. He has to be a difference maker and be a difference maker early. On the defensive side, I'm going to go with the rookie edge rusher Gabe Jacas. There are going to be some injuries and a lot of questions for the Patriots heading into this week at linebacker. I think it's time for the kid to make some noise, step up and have a good game. If the Patriots are going to be successful on the defensive side of the ball, he will have a major impact for them.
