4 Patriots Who Let Drake Maye Down in First NFL Start

2. Antonio Gibson

Coming into Sunday, an ideal offensive game plan would revolve around supporting Maye in his NFL starting debut. One element of that plan – a complementary run game – would go a long way toward supporting Maye.

The Patriots came into Week 6 averaging 131.4 yards per game, but the running back room only managed to muster up 44 yards on Sunday.

Once lead back Rhamondre Stevenson was ruled out for Sunday's game with a foot injury, the responsibility fell primarily on the shoulders of Antonio Gibson. After averaging 5.9 yards per carry through his first five games as a Patriot, Gibson struggled against Houston's defense, averaging a meager 1.9 yards per carry.

Maye led New England with 38 rushing yards against the Texans. Although the stat is a compliment to Maye's ability, it is also a reflection on the Patriots backs' inability to run the ball. To add insult to injury, Houston ran for 192 on New England's defense.

Terrell Jennings – making his NFL debut – chipped in with five carries for 13 yards. JaMycal Hasty added three carries for 12 yards.

If Gibson had been able to support Maye with an impactful ground game on Sunday, that would have helped keep New England's offense on schedule and prevent Maye from having to carry the load too much on offense. Hopefully, Stevenson gets healthy and returns soon.