FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye expressed disappointment in his performance despite leading his team to a 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round of the AFC playoffs.
“Wasn’t pretty, that’s for sure,” Maye remarked, noting the standout performance of the defense as pivotal to their success. “This defense was so fun to watch. They won the game for us. I didn’t throw very well. Need to be better.”
Maye’s statistics reflected a challenging outing, completing 17 passes on 29 attempts for 268 yards, accompanied by one touchdown, one interception, and a fumble. His first half was particularly tough, as he completed only 6 of 15 attempts for a dismal 40% completion rate.
“Just got to be better, whether it’s accuracy or ball placement or little things, making decisions faster,” he said, acknowledging room for improvement. “Held on to the ball a little bit. It wasn’t my best, but that’s why you have teammates. Those guys picked me up.”
Looking forward, the Patriots (15-3) will face the winner of the upcoming match between the fourth-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers and the fifth-seeded Houston Texans in the next round.
Despite his struggles, Maye demonstrated poise under pressure, delivering a crucial 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Henry while evading the grasp of safety Derwin James Jr. This vital score extended the Patriots’ lead to 16-3 and proved crucial in a game characterized by field position battles and defensive stands.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel praised Maye’s ability to rise to the occasion, calling his throw “elite.” In the second half, Maye improved, completing 11 of 14 passes for 173 yards and the touchdown. Notably, he was effective as a rusher, leading the team with 66 yards on 10 carries, a remarkable feat for a quarterback in a playoff game.
“I’ve got to give credit to Drake Maye. Every time we got him, he got back up. Every time he needed a play, he used his legs,” said Chargers safety Derwin James, acknowledging Maye’s resilience.
The Chargers managed only 207 yards of total offense, showcasing the Patriots’ dominant defensive effort. The six sacks recorded by New England tied for the second-most in playoff history for the franchise. Interestingly, it marked only the fifth time that the Patriots had won a playoff game while scoring fewer than 20 points, echoing a testament to the strength of their defense.
With this victory, Maye has joined the ranks of Tom Brady as one of only two Patriots quarterbacks in the last 35 years to win their first career playoff start, setting the stage for what could be an exciting playoff run for New England.