DeMario Douglas limited by serious illness in Patriots' loss to Jaguars originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

DeMario Douglas' first NFL game in London didn't go exactly as planned.

The Patriots' second-year wide receiver caught just two passes for 14 yards in New England's 32-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, a disappointing performance after a career-high 92 in Week 6 against the Houston Texans Yards scored.

As it turned out, Douglas was battling an illness that forced him off the field in the middle of the game.

The 23-year-old woke up feeling sick on Sunday morning and took anti-nausea medication and an IV before the game. according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. After the game, Douglas talked Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald He was “vomiting throughout the day” and “couldn’t get up or concentrate at times,” adding that his illness “got worse as the day went on.”

The Patriots considered it questionable whether Douglas would return early in the third quarter, and he did not play a snap in the second half.

It's unclear what exactly caused Douglas' illness, but it's a tough break for the young wideout, who emerged as Drake Mayes' favorite target in Week 6 and appeared to develop a strong relationship with his rookie QB.

“Pop, you can’t guard him in a phone booth,” Maye told reporters about Douglas earlier this week. “He's tough to guard in man coverage and he has a feel for finding the zone. He's a great guy to have out there. Makes my job a little easier.

With Douglas limited, Maye turned to veteran tight end Hunter Henry, who led the Patriots with eight catches for 92 yards. But aside from KJ Osborn's 22-yard touchdown reception, New England had almost no production from its wide receivers as rookie Ja'Lynn Polk continued to struggle with zero catches on three targets.

Maye and the Patriots' offense need all the help they can get – especially considering New England's defense has allowed a combined 73 points in their last two games – and so they're hoping Douglas is available for the game against New England next Sunday at 100 percent is York Jets.