The Patriots lose Drake Mayes' first start 41-21 to the Houston Texans

FOXBORO – Drake Maye made his first career start, but the results were the same for the New England Patriots in their Week 6 clash with the Houston Texans. The Patriots lost their fifth straight game 41-21, falling to 1-5 on the season.

Despite the loss, there were many signs of hope for the future, as Maye threw three touchdown passes (giving him the team lead for the season) and the Patriots scored more points on Sunday than in any of their previous five games. With Maye now in the starting lineup, the Patriots are at least working toward something with their young quarterback.

But the Texans were too much for New England on Sunday. Houston reached the end zone on each of its first two possessions and then turned three Patriots turnovers into 17 points in the second half. Houston quarterback CJ Stroud threw three touchdown passes of his own on 20-for-31 passing, while running back Joe Mixon rushed for 102 yards and scored a touchdown on his return.

In total, New England turned the ball over four times: two interceptions and a fumble by Maye and a fumble by tight end Austin Hooper. The Patriots' running game was also non-existent without Rhamondre Stevenson, as New England averaged just 3.2 yards on 26 carries and just 82 rushing yards.

Drake Maye is making his first career start with the Patriots

Drake Maye did a little bit of everything in his debut. He threw a nice touchdown. He threw a bad pick. He climbed a few meters and fumbled around. He even recorded his first career tackle.

Maye had ups and downs in his first career start, which is to be expected from a 22-year-old rookie. The Patriots had a quick three-pointer on their first possession and Maye threw a bad interception to end New England's second possession. However, the Texans were unable to convert this wasted possession into points.

Maye threw a nice, deep ball to Kayshon Boutte just before halftime that hit the receiver on the right sideline for a 40-yard touchdown strike that cut Houston's lead to 14-7.

The Patriots had momentum on their side early in the second half, but it disappeared when Maye was sacked by Danielle Hunter and Houston recovered at the New England 10-yard line. The Texans turned that mistake into a rushing touchdown as Stroud hit Stefon Diggs in the end zone, giving Houston a 21-7 lead.

Maye led the Patriots on another touchdown drive late in the third quarter, throwing 64 yards and capping the drive with a six-yard touchdown to Hunter Henry, making the game 27-14.

He had another solid performance at the start of the fourth quarter. Maye gained 15 yards on a second-and-5 and then hit DeMario Douglas over the middle on a third-and-5, which the speedy receiver turned into a 35-yard touchdown for New England, making the score 34-21 Game with 9:24 remaining. But the Texans responded with a four-play touchdown drive capped by a 54-yard touchdown run by Dameon Pierce that put the game out of reach.

The Pats didn't win, but the offense seemed functional for most of the game. The deep threat is back with Maye at quarterback, and he also made the Texans pay with his legs a few times.

Overall, Maye was 20 of 33 for 243 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions and a lost fumble. He also ran for 38 yards on five carries, becoming New England's leading runner.

Turnovers derailed New England's chances in Week 6

The Patriots turned the ball over four times on Sunday, leading to 17 points for the Texans. Houston could have had more, but Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a 40-yard field goal attempt after Maye's first pick.

Maye's fumble turned into a Houston touchdown out of halftime, and the Pats also fumbled away on their third possession of the second half. Maye felt the pressure on first down and threw a short pass to Hooper, but Houston linebacker Henry To'oTo'o knocked the ball out of the tight end's hands and Bullock recovered at the New England 31. Houston converted that into a field goal.

The Texans scored another turnover when they deflected a short attempt from Maye to Antonio Gibson, which went right into the hands of Anderson at the New England 26. Joe Mixon broke off a 20-yard touchdown run two plays later to give the Texans a 34-14 lead.

The Texans had a minus-three turnover differential at the start of Week 6, but were plus-three in that regard on Sunday.

The Patriots face the Jaguars in London in Week 7

Next up for the Patriots is a trip across the pond to face the 1-5 Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London. The Jags are already overseas after losing 35-16 to the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.

Bears' rookie quarterback Caleb Williams threw four touchdown passes against the Jacksonville defense in Week 6, while Trevor Lawrence was sacked three times and subbed out once for the Jaguars. Chicago's running backs ran for 152 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry against Jacksonville on Sunday.