It was a convincing win and for the Patriots‘ offense, the lasting impression will be the beautifully thrown 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Drake Maye to Hunter Henry early in the fourth quarter that gave New England its eventual final score, 16-3 over the Chargers. It was a throw few quarterbacks can make, and one Maye has been making all throughout this magical second season of his.
But there were warts on Maye’s game, and one especially showed itself on Sunday night in the divisional round: turnovers.
All season, coach Mike Vrabel has stressed ball security, and against L.A., Maye threw an interception on a batted ball on the team’s second possession, and lost a fumble on a strip-sack in the first possession of the second half.
“I mean, again, we’ve got to take care of the football,” Vrabel said when asked about Maye. “Thought he came through when we needed him. The tipped pass is something that was unfortunate. That turned into an interception. But the throw to Hunter [Henry] I thought when we needed him was elite.”
Drake Maye: ‘Need to Be Better’
Maye wound up with 268 yards passing against the Chargers, though the rest of his numbers were unsightly. He had the one touchdown and interceptions, and was sacked five times by a very aggressive Chargers defense that at times overwhelmed the New England offensive line. Maye completed 17 of 29 passes, for a 58.6% completion rate, his second-worst of the season, and had multiple turnovers for the fourth time this year.
“I didn’t throw very well tonight. Need to be better,” Maye said. “We did what we had to do. That’s what it takes in the Playoffs. Proud of this team. That was fun to get one at home. Look forward to being back here next week. …
“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. Finally got one in the end.”
Patriots Can’t Afford Turnover Issues Next Week
Taking better care of the ball will be critical for the Patriots next week, whether the Steelers or the Texans win up winning Monday night’s game. The Patriots have had experience with how turnovers can knock back their chances against Pittsburgh–in Week 3, they committed five turnovers in a 21-14 loss to the Steelers. That included an interception in the end zone by Maye, and a lost fumble by the QB.
It might be more imperative against Houston, second-best in the league at creating turnover differential. The Texans have committed only 12 turnovers, second in the NFL, while creating 29 of them, which is third.
Patriots Star on Drake Maye: ‘He’s Consistent’
Still, as Maye said, the Patriots did what they needed to do, and even with the mistakes, the second-year quarterback maintained his poise, made big throws and came away with the win.
Said star receiver Stefon Diggs: “I expected the same person, and it was the same person I got throughout the season. He’s consistent. He’s not going to get too high, he’s not going to get too low and always focused on that next play. I always tell him, his next play is your what, you know what I’m saying? I think y’all know the rest, but if y’all don’t, it’s your best play.”
Patriots Overcome Familiar Drake Maye Problem in Wild-Card Win