Who is on the rise after the victory?

The Jacksonville Jaguars needed great performances from players on three sides of the ball to get an important victory over the New England Patriots, and that’s exactly what they got.

Explosive plays on offense, key stops on defense and one of the greatest special teams plays in franchise history contributed to the Jaguars’ 32-16 victory, but which individual performances especially stood out? We take a look in our weekly stock report below.

Bigsby Tank

Few running backs have had the kind of year that Tank Bigsby had, and he did it all by starting just one game. Bigsbt replaced the injured Travis Etienne on Sunday and had the second 100-yard rushing game of his career. In the last four games alone, Bigsby has 333 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

When Etienne returns from a hamstring injury, you can bet Bigsby will still play a major role in the offense. At this rate, he has to; there aren’t many players handling the ball better than him in the NFL today.

small walker

Most offenses would have to hit the panic button when they missed the initial left tackle after just one possession. The Jaguars have had an abundance of riches at the offensive tackle position in each of the last four years, though, and that came into play again on Sunday when Cam Robinson left the game with a concussion.

Just like he did in the past, Walker Little took over the left tackle position perfectly and the Jaguars offense didn’t miss a beat. Trevor Lawrence was rarely pressured and the Jaguars had a dominant rushing attack, and Little’s consistent play at left tackle is a big reason why the Jaguars were so successful.

Parker Washington

There wasn’t much of a chance for Parker Washington to break out in 2024 considering the Jaguars’ top three receivers have remained healthy all season. But Washington is a player who has always taken advantage of his limited opportunities, and he did it again on Sunday with a 96-yard punt return for a touchdown. Washington should be viewed as the primary returner even when Devin Duvernay returns.

Travon Walker

The former No. 1 pick has been on a roll since midseason last year, racking up 10 sacks in 2023 and already six sacks in seven games this year. That would have been seven sacks as well, if not for the self-inflicted penalty on the Jaguars defense a week ago. Walker’s selection has always been accompanied by Aidan Hutchinson, but Walker is becoming a force on his own.

That continued against the Texans, with Walker recording a key sack of Drake Maye on third down in the fourth quarter. On the next play, Walker pressured Maye again and forced a missed throw to effectively end the game. Walker was disruptive throughout the game and is becoming the player the Jaguars always hoped he would be.

Mason Smith

Despite the Jaguars trading Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seattle Seahawks earlier in the week, the Jaguars made second-round defensive tackle Maason Smith a healthy scratch for the second time this season. It’s never a surprise when a non-first-round rookie doesn’t have a major role in his rookie season, but losing a defensive tackle certainly should have meant more game reps for Smith. Right?

Secondary school hands

The Jaguars have had just one interception (and defensive turnover in general) in seven games, and Sunday was a lesson in why. The Jaguars had two different chances to beat Drake Maye at crucial points in the game to end the contest, but were unable to escape. One drop came from the return of Tyson Campbell, while the other came from Andre Cisco on a drive where the Patriots ended up scoring.

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