FOXBORO — Drake Maye made his debut as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots in their Week 6 matchup against the Houston Texans, but the outcome was disappointing once again. The Patriots fell to the Texans, 41-21, marking their fifth consecutive loss and bringing their season record to 1-5.
Despite the defeat, there were positive developments from Maye, who threw three touchdown passes, the most in a game for any Patriots quarterback this season. The team managed to score more points on Sunday than they had in their previous five games combined, suggesting a potential foundation for the future with Maye at the helm.
The Texans proved to be too formidable an opponent, scoring touchdowns on their first two drives and converting three second-half turnovers by New England into 17 points. Houston’s quarterback C.J. Stroud matched Maye with three touchdown passes and completed 20 of 31 attempts. Running back Joe Mixon also made a significant impact, rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown in his return.
New England struggled with ball security, committing four turnovers in total, which included two interceptions and a fumble by Maye, along with a fumble from tight end Austin Hooper. The Patriots’ running game faltered without Rhamondre Stevenson, averaging only 3.2 yards per carry and totaling 82 rushing yards on 26 attempts.
“Drake made some good decisions out there. I thought he had some good reads, I thought he tried to get the ball out of his hands, I thought he did a good job extending plays with his legs to get first downs. We just gotta be better,” said head coach Jerod Mayo after the game. “We let him down. I feel like I let him down.”
In his first start, Maye showed flashes of potential but also faced the expected challenges for a rookie. After a quick three-and-out on the first drive and a poor interception on the second, he rebounded by throwing a beautiful deep touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte for 40 yards, reducing Houston’s lead to 14-7 just before halftime.
However, the momentum shifted in the second half when Maye was strip-sacked, leading to a quick Texans touchdown, extending Houston’s lead to 21-7. Maye did lead another scoring drive in the third quarter, finishing with a six-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Henry, closing the gap to 27-14.
He orchestrated another touchdown early in the fourth quarter, connecting on a 35-yard score to DeMario Douglas, bringing the score to 34-21. However, the Texans quickly responded with a touchdown run from Dameon Pierce, sealing the game.
In total, Maye completed 20 of 33 passes for 243 yards, with three touchdowns, two interceptions, and one fumble. He also led the team in rushing with 38 yards on five carries.
The Patriots’ turnovers were critical to the game’s outcome, leading to a total of 17 points for the Texans. Houston capitalized on New England’s mistakes effectively throughout the contest.
Looking ahead, the Patriots will travel to London for a Week 7 matchup against the 1-5 Jacksonville Jaguars, who are still reeling from a loss to the Chicago Bears. This game presents another opportunity for New England as they work to reverse their fortunes this season.