The post Total Insight: Curran, Ottolini over or under expectations for Pats vs. Jaguars appeared first on NBC Sports Boston
Two of the NFL’s worst teams will meet in London on Sunday in a Week 7 matchup between the New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Both teams are at the bottom of the league standings with 1 win and 5 losses. The Patriots have lost five straight, and the Jaguars are coming off a 35-16 loss to the Chicago Bears and rookie QB Caleb Williams in London.
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Jacksonville’s defense will face another rookie quarterback on Sunday. Drake Maye made his first career start for the Patriots in last week’s 41-21 loss to the Houston Texans.
A 20-point loss would normally be pretty disappointing, but it wasn’t because Maye showed glimpses of the talent and potential to be the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He helped turn the Patriots’ lackluster passing attack into a capable group with 243 yards and three touchdowns.
Will May give another encouraging performance in his second start? Can Demario “Pop” Douglas continue to make a strong impact as the team’s top wideout?
Patriots insider Tom E. Curran and WEEI’s Megan Ottolini hear about the Patriots vs. Jaguars total over on the latest episode of NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots Talk Podcast in the Total Insights segment. /Shared predictions based on the under.
Total points (42.5)
The most points the Patriots have scored this season is 21 points, which came in last week’s loss to the Texans. They reached the 20-point mark only twice in six games. Both teams are averaging less than 20 points per game this season, with the Jaguars scoring 18.8 points (22nd in the league) and the Patriots scoring 13.8 points (31st).
Ottolini: “I’m going to take the under. This is a London game, the game tends to lean low, and Jacksonville is a mess.”
Drake Maye passing yards (203.5)
May completed 20 of 33 pass attempts for 243 yards in his first start. The Jaguars’ defense allows the most passing yards per game to opposing QBs (276.7) and also has the fourth-highest pass completion percentage (70.8).
Ottolini: “I’m going.”
Drake Maye Touchdown Pass (0.5)
Maye’s three touchdowns in Week 6 were one more than he had in the Patriots’ first five games with Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback. Jacksonville has allowed the most passing touchdowns with 14.
Curran: “That feels low, I think he got them into the end zone through the air.
Ottolini: “Yeah, I’ll go for two (touchdowns).”
Drake May Rush Attempt (5.5)
May ran five times for a team-leading 38 yards in his first start. He has enough athleticism to escape the pocket when pass protection breaks down.
Ottolini: “I’ll go again.”
Karan: “I’ll go too.”
Demario Douglas receiving yards (45.5)
Douglas led the Patriots with 92 receiving yards against the Texans. He also had six receptions in consecutive weeks for the second time in his career. The second-year wideout is averaging 40.8 receiving yards per game this season.
Karan: “It’s finished.”
Ottolini: “I’ll take over.”
This episode also states:
What do you think about the team’s continued problems with penalties this season?
After a below-average performance the past few seasons, I appreciate the success of this year’s first-round QB class.
Comparing Drake Maye’s level of resiliency to Mac Jones with the Patriots
