5 things to keep in mind when the Patriots play in London

FOXBOROUGH – The Patriots are 1-5 and have lost five straight games.

This is not good.

However, after Drake Maye started his first NFL game last weekend, there is optimism in New England. The Patriots’ receivers are excited to play with Maye, who will make their passing offense look like an NFL-caliber unit. Even though this team has had a difficult losing streak, the players are hopeful for the future.

This is a great week for Maye and the Patriots to get back on their feet. They will face the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. The Jaguars are also 1-5 with their head coach Doug Pederson already on the hot seat.

Both teams see this duel as an opportunity to get back on the right track. The Patriots have had a difficult schedule, but Jerod Mayo’s team can win this game.

Here are five things to keep in mind when the Patriots play in London:

Drake Maye and turnovers

This season, the Patriots have always been about developing their younger players. With Maye, the goal should be to continue to improve the rookie quarterback. After sitting behind Jacoby Brissett for five weeks, Maye seemed more than ready against the Houston Texans.

The rookie finished the game with 265 passing yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. In his second start, we want Maye to improve. This means reducing turnover-prone plays and playing cleaner football.

The Jaguars have the lowest interception rate (0.46%) in the NFL. This is a great opportunity for the rookie to play his first turnover-free game. At this point, the Patriots will have to play near-perfect football to win. It starts with the turnover battle.

Drake Maye and passing game

It didn’t look like the Patriots had an NFL-caliber passing offense through the first five weeks of the season. That changed when Maye was under center. The Patriots offense and especially the receivers had a lot more life last weekend. That was notable considering the Texans came into the game with the third-best pass defense in the NFL.

Now it’s time to see what Maye can do about one of the values. The Jaguars enter this London trip ranked last in the NFL in pass defense. Their secondary allows 276.7 yards per game. This week is ripe for Maye to have a good game and give Patriots fans even more reason for hope for the future.

Patriots pass protection

Life was hard for the Patriots offensive linemen. Some of the reasons are beyond their control. The team lost its captain and starting center David Andrews due to a torn rotator cuff. Projected starting tackle Chuks Okorafor left the game. Top backup tackle Caedan Wallace suffered an ankle injury that forced him onto injured reserve.

Now left tackle Vederian Lowe is dealing with an ankle injury. This will likely force the Patriots to make more sweeping changes to their line. Right guard Michael Onwenu could move to right tackle and freshman Layden Robinson will likely return to right guard. Meanwhile, right tackle Demontrey Jacobs could move back to left tackle. There was no continuity with this group. That won’t change in London. We’ll see how things go for Maye.

The Patriots are leading the game

The Patriots need to run the ball more efficiently. At this point, it looks like they will be bringing Rhamondre Stevenson back into the lineup. The starting running back missed last week’s game and two practices last week due to a foot injury. He was a full participant in Friday’s London training session.

Last week, without Stevenson, the Patriots relied on Antonio Gibson, JaMychal Hasty and Terrell Jennings.

It didn’t go well. The Patriots averaged 3.2 yards per carry, ran for 82 total yards, and Maye led the team with 38 rushing yards. The offense needs a more efficient running game at Wembley Stadium. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier. Jacksonville has one of the best run defenses in the NFL. They rank 11th in run defense, allowing 113.3 yards per game.

Patriots defense

Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence hasn’t lived up to the hype. The No. 1 overall pick has 1,334 passing yards for eight touchdowns and three interceptions this season. Jacksonville ranks 24th in scoring (18.8), 20th in passing and 19th in rushing. Their offensive line also struggled, allowing 8.5% of all pass attempts. That’s 20th in the NFL.

The Jaguars have some solid players — receivers Brian Thomas Jr., Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis and tight end Evan Engram — but they aren’t elite offensive weapons. This is a good week for the Patriots defense to step up and play better than they did against Houston. There is no reason to let this struggling Jaguars offense have its best game of the season.

Forecast: Patriots 23, Jaguars 20