The Patriots weren’t able to emerge victorious in Drake Maye’s starting debut, but it was still an encouraging performance from the third overall 2024 NFL Draft pick.

Maye was 20-of-33 for 243 yards with three passing touchdowns, two interceptions and a lost fumble, adding five carries for 38 yards on the ground in the 41-21 loss to the Texans. But it still didn’t go the way Maye wanted.

“I wouldn’t say it did. You want to come out with a win,” Maye said Monday on WEEI. “That’s the ultimate goal — especially in your first start — is coming out with a win. We didn’t get that done. Played against a good football team and definitely had flashes, but at the end of the day, what we preach in that locker room is winning football and we didn’t come out on top.”

Related Articles

Could Patriots bench rookie Ja’Lynn Polk while he gets over ‘mental hump?’

Jerod Mayo finally acknowledges O-line played factor in plan for Drake Maye

Patriots believe center was best O-lineman despite unprecedented circumstances

Callahan: Drake Maye delivered in his NFL debut, will the Patriots return the favor?

Jerod Mayo: Patriots’ defense should ‘feel like crap’ after loss to Texans

Maye believed the best thing he did was handle adversity.

“Obviously coming out in that second drive with Pop over the middle and missing him over the middle,” Maye said about his first interception. “Something I beat myself up about on the sideline, I feel like I need to make those throws. One of my best things is throwing across the middle. Left a lot of yardage out there for Pop, especially on some of the crossing routes. … Ended up putting together a scoring drive at the end of the half and kind of coming out with some juice in the second half. …. And then the tipped interception. I feel like times when we were battling adversity, we fought back and tried to give ourselves a chance to get back in the game. We just didn’t capitalize.”

And he believes he can do a better job of helping out the offensive line in the future.

“They’ve got a tough task,” Maye said. “Injuries, great d-line from Houston. So getting the ball out and realizing that sometimes an incompletion is the best play.”