Travis Hunter — Week 3: First Interception, No Targets
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 28
Hunter had no offensive touch for a second straight week, and on defense intercepted Drake Maye in the end zone on third and two from the Jacksonville 2 with 1:02 left in the first half, New England down 14–3. It is the first interception of his career; he was also credited with one solo tackle and three assists, in a 35–6 win over the Patriots.
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14 to three, Jaguars, a minute two left in the first half, third and two at the Jacksonville two, and Jacksonville had spent all three of its timeouts on the three snaps before. Drake Maye threw short right for Efton Chism, and Travis Hunter intercepted it in the end zone for a touchback. For New England the play was worth −4.5 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position, so from the defense's side a big negative is the good direction — and −7.4 points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it. It is the first interception of his career: none in seven games as a rookie last season, none in the first two weeks of this one.
On offense the line is empty for the second week running: no carry, no target. Trevor Lawrence threw to nine different Jaguars and Hunter was not one of them.
The rest of his day is on defense. He is credited on the tackle on four New England plays: Mack Hollins's 21-yard catch on third and five on the first drive, a four-yard TreVeyon Henderson run, an eight-yard Romeo Doubs catch, and DeMario Douglas's 38-yard catch late in the half, the one tackle he is credited with alone. The box score has one solo tackle, three assists and one pass defensed.
Back in June the preview put Hunter on the watchlist: a bet on a receiving role his own team had said would give way to more defense, on a knee that had not practiced since the previous October. Week 1 was a carry, a catch and a tackle. Week 2 had no offensive touch and everything on defense, including a pass breakup and a pass-interference flag that set up Denver's winning touchdown. Sunday was no offensive touch again, and an interception. Three games, one target. Two straight weeks the play-by-play has had him only on defense, which is the preview's fear arriving, and this week the defense is where he changed the game. Jacksonville is at the Bengals on Sunday the fourth.
_Data via nflverse._
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