MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. >> In a season of lows, the Patriots’ offensive line might have hit rock bottom in Sunday’s 34-15 loss to the Dolphins.

The unit was charged with seven penalties and let up 16 total pressures to the Dolphins, per PFF’s in-game charting.

Left tackle Vederian Lowe was penalized four times with three false starts and one holding penalty and allowed a strip sack, and he wasn’t the offensive tackle who wound up getting benched. That was right tackle Demontrey Jacobs, who was flagged once for a false start and once for a hold while also allowing a sack and seven pressures.

“He was having a tough game,” head coach Jerod Mayo said of Jacobs. “Whether it was penalties or blocking the edge, he was having a tough game. We’ve got to protect the quarterback. As an offensive lineman, that’s what we do. We protect quarterbacks and we have to open up holes for the backs.”

In all, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was sacked four times. Guard Michael Jordan also allowed a sack.

Maye didn’t have his best game of the season, but line play made the offense inoperable at times. They strung together three straight three-and-outs in the first half. Pressure also caused both of Maye’s turnovers.

“Just a lack of technique,” Jacobs said of his issues. “Just got to be better in those moments really. I wouldn’t say it was nothing too extraordinary, just have to be better.”

Jacobs was claimed off waivers from the Broncos in late August. Beginning the season as a deep reserve on the roster, he’s gone on to start seven games at right and left tackle. He was replaced by Sidy Sow late in the game.On top of strip-sack and four penalties, PFF charted Lowe with three hurries. When healthy, he’s been the Patriots’ top left tackle dating back to training camp.

“I need to do better with cadence,” Lowe said of his false starts. “I’m trying to time up the snap and get a jump to get in the best position to be able to block these edge rushers. And I just need to be better with my operation. Those are things that I can control. Pre-snap penalties are something that you could control, it’s something nobody else did. So I know I need to be better with that.”

Lowe wouldn’t blame his shoulder injury and trying to get an extra step on defenders or the crowd noise for his false starts.

The starting left tackle appeared to disagree with his holding penalty. He said that it’s a trap technique he’s coached to do and one he’s performed throughout the season, but this is the first time he’s been flagged for it.

“I don’t know what he saw,” Lowe said. “I’ll just go back and watch the film and try to see what he saw.”

Maye on loss: ‘Remember this’

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.”

Barmore tallies first sack

One of the few bright spots in the Patriots’ 34-15 loss at Miami dragged Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to the ground Sunday for his first sack of the season.

That was Christian Barmore, who made a splash in just his second game back from a blood clots diagnosis this summer. Barmore finished with two tackles and a sack Sunday, which killed Miami’s opening drive after halftime. After the game, Barmore credited his teammates for helping position him for the big play.

“Some of the guys, Keion (White), we made real adjustments, me and him,” Barmore said. “And I was just following what he wanted me to do, and it’s really all my D-line.”

Barmore entered training camp as arguably the Patriots’ best pass rusher and their best defensive tackle, only to be sidelined after a matter of days. The 25-year-old finally returned to action less than two weeks ago, practicing once before his season debut against the Rams when he played 21 snaps. The Patriots again held him out of practice last Wednesday and Friday to ease him back into full football activity.

“It’s hard. But I listen to the doctors,” Barmore said of sitting out. “But it’s hard (playing), especially after one practice, especially no padded practices on Wednesday when I can get my run fits and pass rush. But I do what I gotta do.”

Extra points

Maye blamed himself for an incompletion to wide receiver DeMario Douglas where it appeared the two weren’t on the same page for the second time in two weeks. “I just missed him,” Maye said. “Got a chance to put ourselves and go and score and put some points on the board and keep us in the ball game really. More just mad at myself” … Mayo commented on the Patriots’ late bye when asked about his team coming out flat. “It is a long season, and the guys recognize that. You know, when you get the schedule early on, you have to see where the bye week is. In saying that, look, no excuse from me, and hopefully no excuse from the players. We just have to be better” … Gonzalez explained his scoop-and-score touchdown, saying “We were in a zone call so I can have eyes in the backfield. I saw he kind of messed up the snap a little bit and then I believe it was Marte (Mapu) that came and hit him. I saw the ball on the ground, picked it up and ran.”