Rookie quarterback Drake Maye praised his New England Patriots teammates for getting out of the blocks quickly in their International Series game against Jacksonville at Wembley, but lamented the fact that the early momentum could not be sustained in a game that got away before half-time.

Maye, making only his second NFL start, was encouraged by the way his team started the game on offense, noting that the ‘fast start’ had been a particular focus — but admitted that he found himself wishing they’d been able to keep it going as the Jaguars not only clawed back a ten-point deficit, but racked up 22 points of their own after the first change of ends.

“We’ve been preaching fast start,” Maye told the postgame media, “They want us to start fast. Last week, we didn’t do it. We did that today — we just didn’t sustain it long enough. We had some chances down in the red zone [on] the second drive, ones I wish I had back. Other than that, Coach Mayo is preaching [that we’ve] got to be around the football. When we throw it on first and second down, I have to find some completions to get us in third-and-manageable. Third-and-long is hard in this league, but I thought the guys battled, especially up front. Those guys are playing their butts off, and I owe those guys a lot.

“I think, other than maybe one or two games this season, we haven’t started fast in a while, so it was kind of something new for us. I think I had KB [WR Kendrick Bourne] open on a third down on the second drive and, [if we can] punch another one in, it may be a different ballgame. It was just a couple of throws here and there. Other than that, we’ve just got to find out ways to get first downs.”

The North Carolina grad said that he felt more comfortable under center in London, having got his first game out of the way against Houston last weekend.

“I think the more and more you’re out there, you’re seeing different things, different fronts, different coverages, getting a better feel [for the game],” Maye explained. “I think little things, like false starts, that falls on me. We’ve got to be more clear and up front with the cadence with the O-line and those guys. Other than that, I took care of the football — maybe [there was] one time I endangered it. The last one, the fourth down, that’s just football there. Other than that, I feel like I’m seeing it well, making a few different throws. Other than that, I can do a better job on the sideline sometimes, pumping the guys up, relaying some messages to different guys: You may see this, what are you thinking? Little things like that. I thought we had some bright spots again today, but it just wasn’t good enough.

“I think the Jags did some different stuff, playing different guys in different spots on the same coverage, but I’m here to help this football team win and we’re not getting that done. I’ve got to do something different. Find a completion. Got to do more of getting our guys the ball and letting them make plays. I thought I tried to do that today. I found some checkdowns early in the game that helped us, and little plays like that can go a long way for us.”

Maye credited opposite number Trevor Lawrence for executing Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson’s gameplan and denying the Patriots a chance to respond to the U-turn on the scoreboard.

“I feel like the Jags did a nice job of time of possession,” he confirmed, “Shoot, for a while in the second half, we had one drive the whole half until the very end. Credit to them. We’ve just got to, I don’t know, work harder, find something different.”

Patriots HC Jerod Mayo, meanwhile, was encouraged by what he saw from the rookie thrown in to replace Jacoby Brissett after the veteran’s lacklustre start to the season.

“I thought he did a good job, especially starting the game off fast,” Mayo confirmed, “He made some good throws, made some good plays with his legs.”