Maye Intercepted Twice as Patriots Routed 35-6 by Jaguars in Week 3

Drake Maye's slump deepened in New England's 35-6 loss to Jacksonville, while Jahmyr Gibbs and Aaron Rodgers delivered standout Week 3 performances.

The New England Patriots slid to 1-2 on Sunday after the Jacksonville Jaguars handed them a 35-6 defeat, a result that kept the focus squarely on quarterback Drake Maye. His slump now stretches back to last season's playoffs, and the latest outing did nothing to slow the concern.

The opening half told the story. New England managed a field goal before the break, with Maye accounting for just 88 yards through the air. Late in the second quarter, on third-and-goal, he rolled away from pressure and flung the ball back toward the middle of the end zone, where no teammate was open. Jaguars cornerback Travis Hunter was waiting there for the first interception of his career.

Nothing improved after halftime. Facing a 14-3 deficit in the third quarter, Maye was off target on a third-down throw intended for Romeo Doubs, the Patriots followed by missing a field goal, and Jacksonville answered with a touchdown that pushed the lead to 21-3. On New England's next series, cornerback Jarrian Jones gathered in a poorly placed Maye pass, and the Jaguars turned that takeaway into another touchdown. Television cameras soon caught coach Mike Vrabel with his hands on the quarterback's shoulders, offering words of encouragement.

Maye's final line read 14 completions on 25 attempts for 198 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions before Tommy DeVito entered with a little more than eight minutes remaining. The pattern extends across the season: two damaging picks in the opener against Seattle, one thrown into the end zone while the Patriots were positioned to attempt a game-tying field goal, followed by no touchdown passes and an interception against Pittsburgh in Week 2. Through two games he owned one scoring throw and a league-high four interceptions.

The decline is a striking turn from last season, when Maye topped the NFL with a 113.5 passer rating, helped the Patriots win the AFC and fell a single vote short of the MVP award. In the playoffs his rating tumbled to 82.2 and he went quiet in a lopsided Super Bowl loss. Seven months later, observers are asking whether he still rates as a top-10 quarterback, or perhaps even among the top half of the league's starters.

Mitigating factors exist. Maye has opened the year against a demanding run of defenses, and wide receiver A.J. Brown suffered a high ankle sprain in the season's first game, stripping an offense short on playmakers of its biggest weapon.

Week 3 offered brighter outcomes elsewhere. Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored three touchdowns in a 31-24 win over the New York Jets, including a 17-yard run on which he took a pitch to the right, found himself boxed in, and turned to sprint the other way to the end zone. After New York pulled even at 24-24, Gibbs answered with an 11-yard scoring run that put Detroit back in front. He finished with 99 yards on the ground and seven receptions for 65, and after signing a three-year, $67.5 million extension before the season, he now fronts a Lions backfield he once shared with David Montgomery.

In Pittsburgh, 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns as the Steelers edged the Cincinnati Bengals 30-27 in a division matchup, finding form after two unsteady weeks on offense. Jaylen Warren contributed 127 rushing yards and 49 receiving. The decisive drive featured a 14-yard Rodgers completion to DK Metcalf, after a Metcalf holding penalty wiped out a long Warren run, and a 47-yard strike to tight end Darnell Washington that moved the Steelers into field-goal range. Pittsburgh's defense sealed the outcome by forcing a fumble on a sack of Joe Burrow in the final minute.