FRANKFURT, Germany — Mac Jones arrived in a new country with a playful, jovial attitude. He might be leaving Germany without his starting job guaranteed.

Jones threw one of his worst interceptions of the season while trailing 10-6 with the ball inside the red zone on the Colts’ 15-yard line. His pass to tight end Mike Gesicki was embarrassingly short of the intended target and caught by a falling Colts safety Julian Blackmon for the pick.

The Colts drained nearly two-and-a-half minutes off of the clock before punting back to the Patriots, who inserted Bailey Zappe at quarterback. It was the first time Jones was benched this season without the game out of hand.

Zappe entered the game and went 26 yards on seven plays before tossing his own game-clinching interception. The Colts kneeled on the ball for the 10-6 win.

The Patriots are left without an obvious starter at quarterback over the final seven games of the season.

The Patriots’ offense looked jet-lagged after traversing the Atlantic Ocean on a flight that took off Thursday afternoon and landed seven hours and six time zones later Friday morning.

Then again, what was their excuse for the first nine weeks of the season without an intercontinental flight?

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Give the Frankfurt Stadium crowd credit. They stayed excited for the entirety of Sunday’s slog that saw 12 straight drives end without points.

The Patriots actually looked somewhat competent on their first offensive drive, going 61 yards on 13 plays before a third-down sack forced them to settle for a 37-yard field goal from rookie kicker Chad Ryland.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, the Colts responded with a scoring drive of their own, going 75 yards on 14 plays before running back Jonathan Taylor scampered for a 1-yard touchdown.

The Patriots got away from the running game after their initial offensive series, and their production suffered, stringing together four straight drives that ended in punts before the end of the half. Jones was sacked five times in the first half as the offensive line crumbled with left tackle Trent Brown out after not traveling due to an ankle injury and personal matter.

The Patriots’ defense did their job, as well, forcing three straight punts with a missed field goal mixed in before the half.

The Colts opened the second half with a passing attempt from quarterback Gardner Minshew that was tipped by Patriots linebacker Jahlani Tavai and intercepted by cornerback Myles Bryant. The Patriots’ ensuing drive ended with a missed field goal on a 35-yard attempt from Ryland.

The Patriots’ defense made quick work of the Colts, forcing another punt on a five-play, 26-yard drive.

Ryland finally ended the scoring drought with a 24-yard field goal after the Patriots went 93 yards on 15 plays but couldn’t get the ball in the end zone. Jones threw a dangerous incompletion to tight end Hunter Henry on third-and-goal from the 5-yard line that was nearly picked off by Colts safety Julian Blackmon.

The Colts knocked through their own 51-yard field goal after just a seven-play, 20-yard scoring drive that started with a 42-yard kick return from Isaiah McKenzie. Patriots special-teamer Ty Montgomery saved a touchdown by upending McKenzie at the Colts’ 47-yard line.

BEST

RB Ezekiel Elliott: The veteran running back was the Patriots’ most dynamic offensive player, carrying the ball 13 times for 54 yards while adding two catches for 34 yards.

RB Rhamondre Stevenson: Stevenson led the Patriots with 87 yards on 19 carries. He wasn’t quite as effective as Elliott in the passing game, catching two passes on four targets for 9 yards.

WR Demario Douglas: The rookie wide receiver put together another career-high performance with five catches on five targets for 75 yards.

WORST

QB Mac Jones: There’s nothing left to be said about an absolutely abhorrent interception Jones threw in the red zone trailed 10-6 with the game on the line midway through the fourth quarter. His pass to tight end Mike Gesicki was short-armed and short, hitting Blackmon in the chest for an interception.

Offensive line: Jones was sacked five times in the first half as the Patriots QB struggled to find time to throw behind a line missing their blindside blocker.

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: The veteran receiver was flagged twice — once for a false start and again for an illegal shift. He caught just one 9-yard pass.

Special teams: Ryland missed a short field goal, punter Bryce Baringer had two touchbacks, the Patriots went with an all-out punt block with no returner early in the second quarter which resulted in a field-flipping 69-yard punt, and their kickoff coverage team let up a 42-yard return to Isaiah McKenzie early in the fourth quarter.