MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Moments after the Patriots took a 34-15 blowout on the chin Sunday at Miami, Drake Maye said the only direction his team can go is up.

But as the Pats fight to climb back, Maye doesn’t want them to forget what it feels like at the bottom.

“Like I’ve always said, I hate losing more than I really like to win. Losing sucks, and I think just — I told some guys, just remember this feeling,” the rookie quarterback said. “Remember this feeling of really getting our butts whooped today.”

Maye finished 22-of-37 for 222 yards, one touchdown and an interception in defeat. He also got strip-sacked in the third quarter, a turnover that two plays later led to a Dolphins touchdown. With that score, Miami led 31-0 and dropped the Patriots into their largest deficit of the season.

Maye finally got the Patriots on the board with a 38-yard touchdown heave on fourth-and-15 early in the fourth quarter. He scrambled away from pressure and eventually found tight end Austin Hooper wide open down the middle of the field. But later, after Christian Gonzalez’ scoop-and-score fumble return touchdown, Maye sealed the Patriots’ defeat with another pass under pressure that resulted in an interception.

The rookie spoke post-game to the balance of trying to create offense for a struggling team, while also protecting the ball.

“I think it’s hard. It’s hard to balance and try to make plays and keep drives alive,” Maye said. “Just trying to make something happen, give us a little light. It ended up happening. Gonzo put us back in the ball game and then (I) go down there and turn the ball back over. So (it’s) tough and frustrating. I know we have better football ahead of us, and this wasn’t our best product today.”

Over seven career starts, Maye has simultaneously exceeded expectations, inspired hope for the Patriots’ future and occasionally set them back with seven interceptions and five fumbles. But he believes games like Sunday’s will eventually become more of an exception than the rule, as the Pats pushes through the pain of another blowout defeat.

“We have a bright future and bright players in there,” Maye said, “that are going to make some plays for the Patriots.”