By Nigel Hunt
LONDON (Reuters) – New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye could not prevent his team sliding to a sixth consecutive defeat at London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday but did at least provide a glimpse of a better future in only his second NFL start.
Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, completed 26 of 37 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions as his team lost 32-16 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“I am extremely impressed and proud of Drake,” wide receiver KJ Osborn told reporters with the young quarterback providing a bright spark in an otherwise grim display.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said he had a lot to think about on the long flight home.
“What I would say is we are a soft football team across the board. What makes a tough football team is being able to run the ball, being able to stop the run and being able to cover kicks and we did none of those today.
Mayo did, however, have some positive comments for Maye.
“I thought Drake did a good job, he made some good throws, he made some plays with his legs,” he said.
Maye, who threw two interceptions in his first NFL start last week against the Houston Texans, said he was getting a better feel as he spent more time on the field and was pleased he had taken care of the ball this week.
“I thought we made some plays but it was just not good enough,” he said.
The game was the third and final of this year’s NFL London Games following the Minnesota Vikings’ 23-17 win over the New York Jets and the Chicago Bears 35-16 victory over the Jaguars.
The 86,651 attendance was a record for the London Games which began in 2007.
The Patriots fell to 1-6 while the Jaguars improved their record to 2-5.
The Patriots will host the New York Jets next week while the Jaguars entertain the Green Bay Packers.
(Reporting by Nigel Hunt, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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