FOXBOROUGH — When the Patriots visit Jacksonville on Sunday, Jaguars coach Liam Coen wants to see the fans go nuts one last time before saying goodbye for a month.
With a road game next week in Cincinnati, followed by “home” games Oct. 11 and 18 in London, then a bye, Sunday will be the last chance Jaguars fans have to see their team until Nov. 1. Coen is hoping for a raucous atmosphere, even with a reduced crowd of 41,156 because of stadium renovations taking place the next two years.
“We need a true home-field advantage this week,” Coen said. “Definitely need the community and fan base to come out and support as much as possible.”
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EverBank Stadium, formerly Alltel Stadium and the Jaguars’ only home since becoming an NFL franchise in 1995, will never be confused with the loudest or most iconic stadiums, such as Lambeau, Arrowhead, or Seattle’s Lumen Field. It’s never mentioned in the conversation of best home-field advantages, with Denver’s altitude, Miami’s sweltering humidity, or Buffalo’s lake-effect winters.
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But going to Jacksonville in September can be rough. The Jaguars have a 29-28 home record in September, for a .509 win percentage that ranks 22nd since 1995. Compare that with the team’s 18-35 road record in September, a .340 win percentage that ranks 29th.
Opponents have melted in the heat and humidity, with the added challenge of thunderstorms and lightning delays. Mike Vrabel went 3-3 in Jacksonville while coach of the Titans from 2018-23, including 1-1 in September games. Sunday’s will be the last September home game without a roof providing shade for fans, which is part of the renovations that will be completed for the 2028 season. (The Jaguars plan to play next year in Orlando.)
The hottest game in Patriots history was their last time in Jacksonville, in 2018, when the 4:25 p.m. kickoff had an official temperature of 97 degrees and a heat index of 107. They lost, 31-20, in a game that was more of a blowout than the score suggests.
Sunday’s high for a 1 p.m. kickoff is expected to be 84 degrees, with 53 percent humidity. But the conditions still won’t be fun.
“I don’t know if you ever get used to it or accustomed to it,” former Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles said after the 2018 game. “I think you just know what to expect and what is going to come with it. The ball is going to be soaked, everybody is going to be sweating and slippery.”
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The heat and humidity won’t be the Patriots’ only problem. The Jaguars have dominated at home since Coen was hired before the 2025 season, with an 8-1 record at EverBank. They are riding a five-game home win streak, in which they have scored at least 30 points, held their opponent to 20 or fewer, and won by at least 17 in each game, with an average margin of victory of 26.4. Of course, that streak only counts regular-season games, and does not include the Jaguars’ 27-24 home loss to the Bills in last season’s wild-card round.
The Jaguars cruised past the Browns at home in Week 1, 34-10, before falling at Denver last week, 20-13.
“I think they have been outscoring their opponents at home in that stadium by probably 10 points in the first half, so that’s something that really sticks out,” Vrabel said. “From what I could tell from Cleveland, I think that there were 42,000 [fans], but they were into it, and they were loud for what it was recorded as from an attendance standpoint. So, I think that those fans are football fans. They crave football. Just like us, if they give them reasons to cheer, they’ll be loud.”
Even on a neutral field, the Patriots would be in for a good battle. The Jaguars were the NFL’s second-biggest surprise team last year after the Patriots, finishing 13-4 and improving by nine wins under Coen in his first season. The defense has forced three takeaways in two games, and is likely salivating over the prospect of facing Drake Maye and his four interceptions.
“They feast off turnovers,” Vrabel said.
The Patriots also will likely face a focused Jaguars team. The Patriots also will likely face a focused team. Coen was not pleased with the way his Jaguars practiced a week ago Thursday and Friday, and said it showed up in the loss to the Broncos, in which the Jaguars couldn’t protect a 13-3 lead in the second half.
“I know it’s coach speak, but if we’re not kicking our show team’s tail, then it’s not going to show up on Sunday,” Coen said. “We have to have higher standards with how we practice, pitch and catch, make good plays, sustain blocks longer, rush and cover better. All that stuff has to improve this week.”
The Patriots are 3-9 all-time in Florida in September. (One of those wins came last year in Miami.) They believe they will be ready.
“I’m sure we’ll try to use our depth the way that you always do when you go to a climate like that,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. “We’ll be ready to go.”