Drake Maye showed promise in his starting debut for the New England Patriots, tossing three touchdowns against an elite Houston Texans defense in Week 6.
Maye wasn’t perfect, turning the ball over three times in the loss to Houston, though New England should be confident that the franchise found its quarterback of the future. The Patriots are struggling with five straight losses. Luckily for them, they’ll play another team going through a similar skid.
The Patriots and the Jacksonville Jaguars both enter their matchup this week at 1-5. Jacksonville started 0-4 and briefly had to turn to former New England quarterback Mac Jones, who instantly crumbled against the Buffalo Bills. Not only have the Jaguars struggled as an offense, their defense can’t get stops.
Jacksonville ranks 31st in the NFL in yards allowed (390 per game), last in pass defense (275.6 yards per game) and 31st in points allowed (29.7 per game). The Jaguars are 11th against the run and instability in the backfield limited the Patriots there anyway. For reference, Maye led New England in rushing in his debut with 38 yards.
If Maye tossed three touchdowns against one of the most pressuring and efficient units in the NFL, imagine what he’s capable of, even with a limited Patriots receiving core, against the Jaguars with the pressure of his debut in the past.
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The Patriots and Jaguars kick off in London on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Featured image via Gregory Fisher/Imagn Images
