Drake Maye Gets Brutally Honest About Patriots Playoff Win

FOXBOROUGH, MA. — As New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye walked off the Gillette Stadium field after an unprepossessing, yet gritty 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs, he knew that he owed a notable portion of the victory to a little help from his teammates.

Despite having completed 17-of-29 passes for 268 yards with one touchdown pass, while running for a team-high 66 yards, Maye’s effort — by his own admission — was not his best. The Pats’ third overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft threw a first-quarter interception, and also lost the ball on a third-quarter fumble. Still, Maye was able to parlay a standout effort from New England’s defense into a favorable outcome in the first playoff game of his career.

In addition to holding the Chargers to only 207 yards of offense, the Pats preventive unit made several stops at crucial points throught the game. As a result, Maye’s struggles did not cost his team on the scoreboard — a point not lost on him during his postgame reflection.

“This defense was so fun to watch,” Maye told reporters from his Gillette Stadium podium. “Congrats to them … They won the game for us. I didn't throw very well tonight. Need to be better. We did what we had to do.”

Patriots Offense Came Alive in Second Half Due to Maye’s Determination

Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) scrambles as Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley (0) defends during the second quarter in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

On offense, Maye managed to turn in a baker’s handful of aesthetically-pleasing throws throughout the night. However, there were a few plays which he lamented leaving on the field. Though such infractions typically bring an abrupt end to postseason play, Maye persevered. Fueled by a determination which has served him well throughout the regular season, Maye helped push his team to victory. Nonetheless, he remains cognizant of the work which needs to be done before his next start in the Divisional Round on Jan. 18

“Just got to be better, whether it's accuracy or ball placement or little things, making decisions faster. Held onto the ball a little bit tonight … It wasn't my best tonight. But that's why you have teammates, those guys picked me up. Never lost confidence … That's the thing about us, we spread it around, can do a lot of things.”

Eventually, the Pats’ pass-catchers began to reward Maye’s efforts. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson led all Patriots receivers with 75 yards on three catches, while receiver Kayshon Boutte earned 66 yards on four catches. Veteran Stefon Diggs caught two passes for 16 yards. Tight end Hunter Henry hauled in a well-placed 28-yard pass from Maye on 1st-and-10 from the Chargers’ 28-yard line for the touchdown. Not only was it New England’s first scoring strike of the postseason, but it was also a special one for both Maye and Henry. The touchdown marked the first playoff touchdown for either player in their respective careers.

With Maye frequently finding himself under pressure from a potent Bolts’ pass rush, he found that the best way to neutralize the Chargers’ aggression was to call his own number — highlighted by a 37-yard rush against the Bolts’ two-man zone. In fact, the UNC product led the Patriots in rushing against the Chargers in this game. Though the manner may have been unconventional, Maye showed that he can keep the Patriots on the path to victory, even when his offense is not clicking on all cylinders.

Maye is Eager to Apply Lessons Learned from Chargers Victory

As the newly-minted second-team All-Pro has excelled in leading the Patriots' passing attack this season, his showing against the Chargers proves that he has also been quite effective as a runner. When the play breaks down, he possesses both the agility and instinct to turn off-script options into big gains — as evidenced by his finishing the regular season with 450 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground — only adding to his multi-dimensional mystique.

Yet, in the final analysis, Maye remains determined to use the ebb and flow of his on-field performance to keep his team focused on improvement heading into the Divisional Round of the playoffs. While a slightly above-par performance may have been good enough to win this time, the Pats’ second-year starter is ready to apply what he has learned in what promises to be New England’s toughest test to date.

“That is it, Playoff football.,” Maye said. “That's what we said at the beginning of the season, we want to play home Playoff games in the Playoffs. That's what we did. We are 1-0. We got to go to the next one.”

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