The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars, both holding 1-5 records, will face off at Wembley Stadium in London on Sunday.
Of all of the opponents on the Patriots’ schedule, the Jaguars are among the most winnable matchups.
Aside from rookie quarterback Drake Maye possibly getting his first win under center and the club’s second victory of the season, the trip across the pond could provide more benefits to the struggling Patriots.
“Hopefully, a long trip across the pond helps us continue to build our relationships, chemistry, and start trending in the right direction,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters in his Wednesday press conference, per team-provided transcript.
Being roughly 4,300 miles from home can undoubtedly serve as an opportunity for the players, coaches and staff to socialize and build relationships outside of the competitive field. Much more so it can only help strengthen team morale.
The Patriots could certainly use a positive boost after dropping five straight games, especially given the changes to the personnel on the field and the coaching staff.
Maye has the opportunity to build strong relationships off the field with the wide receivers, especially DeMario Douglas, which can only benefit the Patriots.
“He’s one of our best route runners,” Mayo said. “He can really run any route, and he does a great job getting open. Now we’re finding him, and the quarterbacks are making good throws to him, and he’s picking up a lot of yards.”
