The New England Patriots hit a new low Sunday with a 32-16 loss to the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London.
Both teams entered this game tied for the worst record in the NFL at 1-5, but it's the Patriots that will leave England at the bottom of the standings. The Patriots have lost six consecutive games for the first time since 1993. They also haven't scored more than 21 points in any game this season.
The loss to the Jaguars was full of concerns for the Patriots. After taking an early 10-0 lead, the Patriots gave up 25 unanswered points, including a 96-yard punt return touchdown. New England couldn't run the football on offense and failed to stop the run on defense.
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Head coach Jerod Mayo even called his team "soft" after the game, which is a harsh -- but mostly accurate -- critique of this team right now.
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The one positive for the Patriots from Sunday's defeat is it maintains their position atop the order for the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. They are not the only 1-6 team, but as of right now, the Patriots have the tiebreaker based on a lower strength of schedule.
The Patriots have not held the No. 1 pick since 1993 when they took Washington State quarterback Drew Bledsoe. This version of the Patriots doesn't need a quarterback. New England selected Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall selection in the 2024 draft, and he has played very well in his first two career starts. Maye completed 26-of-37 pass attempts for 276 yards with two touchdowns and zero turnovers against the Jaguars.
What this team desperately needs is to find a franchise left tackle or an elite wide receiver in Round 1.
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The Patriots used their seventh different offensive line combination in seven games Sunday. Demontrey Jacobs started at left tackle in place of the injured Vederian Lowe. Maye completed a lot of passes versus the Jaguars but only six of them went to wide receivers. None of the Patriots' wideouts caught more than two passes or tallied 35-plus receiving yards in London.
The rest of the season could be tough to watch for football fans around New England, but if there's one bright spot for the Patriots, it's that their chances of earning a top-three pick next April are improving by the week.
Here's the updated order for the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
1. New England Patriots, 1-6 (.467 strength of schedule)
2. Carolina Panthers, 1-6 (.527)
3. Cleveland Browns, 1-6 (.532)
4. Tennessee Titans, 1-5
5. New York Jets, 2-5
6. New Orleans Saints, 2-5
7. Jacksonville Jaguars, 2-5
8. Las Vegas Raiders, 2-5
9. New York Giants, 2-5
10. Miami Dolphins, 2-5