Drake Maye is expected to have a better chance in his second NFL start. Just ask fellow rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
Maye and the struggling New England Patriots will head to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. Maye doesn’t need anyone to remind him of the Jaguars’ defensive issues; they were clear to see last week when Williams threw four touchdown passes in Chicago’s 35-16 win over Jacksonville in London.
The Jaguars (1-5) showed problems like inconsistent pass rush, missed assignments, and issues with gap integrity.
Even former Patriots coach and current analyst Bill Belichick mentioned the Jaguars while discussing Williams’ performance, saying “that was a good defense to face.” This could work in Maye’s favor, too.
The third overall pick from North Carolina had some good moments in his starting debut against Houston, where he threw three touchdown passes. However, he also had three turnovers, and the Patriots (1-5) lost their fifth game in a row since their surprising win against Cincinnati in Week 1.
“As the weeks go on, I think I’ll get more and more confident, especially with the game plan stuff,” Maye said.
In the 41-21 loss, Maye threw two interceptions and lost the ball on a strip sack, which put Houston on the Patriots’ 10-yard line for a touchdown. His fourth-quarter interception also gave Houston a great chance to score again.
“We hurt our defense, put them in some bad spots,” Maye said.
While ball security was a concern for first-year Patriots coach Jerod Mayo, the slow start was even more troubling. The Texans were ahead 14-0 after just two drives, and it could have been worse if they hadn’t missed a field goal.
“We’ve got to start games faster, and that’s definitely a point of emphasis this week,” Mayo said.
The Jaguars have spent the week in London recovering from their struggles. Things haven’t gone well for Jacksonville this season, and losing again overseas could raise concerns about coach Doug Pederson’s job security. This comes after safety Andre Cisco mentioned he saw “a lot of quit” in the team against the Bears, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence described the team as fragile.
Pederson replied that his players need to reduce mental errors, be tougher, and improve their conditioning. “Being a smarter football team really makes a difference in the success that you have on the field,” Pederson said.
