The New England Patriots talked about trying to get off to a fast start all week before facing the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 7. And to their credit, they did just that.

But with the team leading 10-0 early in the second quarter, the magic began to wear off. What followed was a quick and drastic collapse en route to a 32-16 loss – the team's sixth straight loss.

Then the search for answers began. And for wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, there could be clarity in the team's preparation for the game in London.

“The time zone was definitely a factor. 9:30, that was a challenge,” Bourne told Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. “The energy could have been better, much better. We must find ways to combat adversity from within. We know we will play at 9:30. As the week progresses we need to understand this. Maybe wake up earlier and find ways to fight these adversities first.

“This is the first battle. Playing (Jacksonville) is the second fight. If we struggle to win the first battle, we will also struggle to win the second battle. That’s how I felt, that’s how I feel now, and that’s an area where we need to get better.”

The Patriots playing away teams doesn't happen regularly, but a large portion of the roster and coaching staff has experience with it. Just last year, New England played a game in Germany, while head coach Jerod Mayo himself took part in all four trips across the Atlantic in franchise history.

And yet Bourne's statements call into question the team's preparation. In addition to addressing the time difference, he also spoke of “personal choices” to get ready “instead of staying up all night or eating whatever.”

This opinion was also shared by fellow wideout KJ Osborn, who caught one of the Patriots' two touchdowns that day.

“London was a great experience but we came here to play and win a football game,” he explained. “For some of the younger guys, it's kind of a routine when they have another international game – the schedule, the way you balance the time as a tourist, I would say, with the study time and things like that.” And being able to lock yourself away.

“It's a blessing for us to be able to be here and play a game of football, but at the end of the day we come to work and we come to win. And we didn’t do that.”