Three things to watch for Patriots-Jaguars in London on NFL Network, NFL+

• WHERE: Wembley Stadium (London)
• WHEN: 9:30 a.m. ET | NFL Network, NFL+

After three weeks in the United Kingdom, the final London game of the 2024 season begins on Sunday morning when the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) host the New England Patriots (1-5) at Wembley Stadium in a two-game clash between teams in desperate need of a win .

The Patriots' season, expected to be a rebuilding year under new head coach Jerod Mayo, began with an upset win over the Bengals, but the team has lost five straight since then. Looking for variety, Week 6 against the Houston Texans featured the highly anticipated No. 3 overall pick in the first start of 2024 Drake Maye. Although his debut ended in a 41-21 loss, it marked the beginning of a new era for New England heading into London.

The Jaguars started the season 0-4 before picking up their first win of 2024 in a thriller against the Colts. But when they traveled to London last week for the first of their back-to-back international games, they were unable to build on that win, instead falling to the Bears 35-16. Now they remain in the UK for the second week in a row as questions arise as to whether changes are on the way if things continue on this path.

It may be a battle of teams at the bottom of the AFC standings, but there will be no shortage of storylines and motivation on both sides in this early morning clash. Both teams will need to win, but only one will emerge victorious and take home a W after the international trip.

Here are three things to watch for when the Patriots and Jaguars meet in London on Sunday on NFL Network and NFL+:

1) Drake Maye is looking for his first NFL win. Week 6 gave the Patriots a taste of what's possible with Maye at quarterback, regardless of what the outcome might have shown. The next step, however, is for him to win a game, overcoming two major hurdles along the way. While Maye was able to build rapport with his wide receivers by throwing three touchdown passes to three different players, he struggled with ball control, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble on a sack. The Jaguars' defense has struggled in the passing game, ranking last in yards allowed per game and only having one interception so far, so Maye doesn't want to give them any extra help. The other area of ​​concern is New England's offensive line, which has shuffled its starting five every week so far and hasn't had success in any reps. They rank second to last in sacks allowed (23), and Maye was tackled four times last week, injuring his knee in the process. The Jacksonville pass rush, which had 14 sacks in six games, was desperate to become a star Josh Hines Allen (2.5 bags) go along Travon Walker (five sacks), so again, this is a battle that could determine the outcome of Maye's second attempt.

2) Jaguars need to stop beating themselves. Jacksonville started this season in win-now mode and believed it had the talent to do it. However, that hasn't been true so far, as the Jaguars' stats on both sides of the ball are near the bottom of the league and their record reflects that. The main problem for Jacksonville so far has been its costly mistakes — they rank third in penalties with 47 — and difficulty getting better in crucial moments, as evidenced by four one-point games (three losses) in the first five weeks. And then, last week against the Bears, the Jaguars scored first and held on early, but a mix of penalties, drops, turnovers and big plays sent the game spiraling out of control, with offense and defense sharing responsibility for the loss. In order to avoid being completely eliminated from the competition, the Jaguars will face an advantageous match this week against the Patriots, who have also overcome some problems. New England ranks 31st in points scored and 32nd in passing yards and will start a rookie at QB, giving Jacksonville's struggling defense a solid game for a hopeful turnaround. And the Pats defense, despite boasting rising stars Christian González And Keion Whiteranks in the bottom third of the league in yards allowed and gave up 41 points last week, potentially a golden opportunity for Trevor Lawrence to truly break out. If self-inflicted mistakes lead to another loss in what is arguably the Jaguars' best game yet, this game could lead to a reckoning for this team.

3) The ground game matchup could be crucial. With both offenses entering the matchup with notable difficulties in the passing game, how well each side runs the ball – and who is healthy – could be a key component in determining a winner. The Jaguars rank 19th in rush yards per game, with a tandem of Travis Etienne And Tank Bigsby take on the majority of the tasks. This pair has been good, if not great, through the first five weeks, averaging 126.2 yards per game. But nothing got going against the Bears, as the team finished with 68 yards on the ground and no individual scored more than 28 yards. To add insult to injury, Etienne also sustained a hamstring injury in the game, which is a game-time decision. He had three carries for -1 yards before exiting the contest. On the visitors' side, the Patriots' 12th-ranked running game was their strength, starting with a 170-yard rush that helped them beat the Bengals in Week 1. Last week, however, the running game stalled as the leading rusher took his turn Rhamondre Stevenson is out due to a foot injury. Drake Maye accounted for 38 of the team's 82 yards rushing, and the rest of the team averaged just over two yards per carry. Stevenson remains on the injury report and did not practice earlier in the week, casting doubt on his status. Regardless of whether he is available or not, the Patriots will want to get the ground game going again to support their rookie QB. Which of the teams will be able to get this element of offense going and how will it impact the bottom line?