NFL: Drake Maye credits defense for Patriots win over Chargers in Wildcard round
The young quarterback struggled to get his game going in his first playoff game
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye admitted he was unhappy with his performance despite guiding his team to a 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC wild-card round on Sunday.
Maye completed 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards, with one touchdown, one interception and one lost fumble. He also had another fumble recovered by left guard Jared Wilson.
His first-half display, in which he went 6-of-15, represented his lowest completion percentage in any half this season.
“Wasn’t pretty, that’s for sure,” Maye said. “But this defense was so fun to watch. They won the game for us. I didn’t throw very well. Need to be better.”
“Just got to be better, whether it’s accuracy or ball placement or little things, making decisions faster,” Maye said. “Held on to the ball a little bit. It wasn’t my best, but that’s why you have team-mates. Those guys picked me up.”
The Patriots, now 15-3, will host the winner of Monday’s AFC wild-card game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans in the divisional round next Sunday.
Despite his struggles, Maye produced the decisive moment late in the game, throwing a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Henry over the outstretched arm of safety Derwin James Jr.
The score extended New England’s lead to 16-3 with 9:52 remaining and provided breathing room in a contest dominated by defense and field position.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel described the throw as “elite”. Maye was significantly sharper in the second half, completing 11 of 14 passes for 173 yards and the touchdown.
Earlier, Maye had made his biggest impact with his legs, including a 37-yard run late in the second quarter that set up an Andy Borregales field goal to give New England a 6-3 half-time lead.
He finished as the Patriots’ leading rusher with 66 yards on 10 carries, marking the first time in franchise history that a quarterback led the team in rushing during a playoff game.
“I’ve got to give credit to Drake Maye,” Chargers safety Derwin James Jr said. “Every time we got him, he got back up. Every time he needed a play, he used his legs.”
The Patriots’ defense held the Chargers to 207 total yards and recorded six sacks, tied for the second-most in a playoff game in franchise history.
It was only the fifth time New England have won a postseason game while scoring fewer than 20 points.
With the victory, Maye joined Tom Brady as the only Patriots quarterbacks in the past 35 years to win their first career playoff start.