‘Need to be better:’ Drake Maye gives honest assessment of performance in Patriots’ win

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‘Need to be better:’ Drake Maye gives honest assessment of performance in Patriots’ win

Mark Daniels · MassLive

Mon, Jan 12, 2026 ·

3 min read

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FOXBOROUGH – Following the first playoff win of his NFL career, Drake Maye stood at the podium just outside the Patriots ’ locker room and gave an honest assessment of his play.

“This defense was so fun to watch. Congrats to them. It was so fun to watch. They won the game for us,” Maye said. “I didn’t throw very well tonight. Need to be better. We did what we had to do. That’s what it takes in the Playoffs.”

When it came to the passing game, Maye didn’t play his best in the Patriots ’ wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers . However, this young quarterback showed that even on an off night, he’s still a handful for opposing defenses.

The second-year quarterback finished 17 of 29 for 268 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He fumbled twice, losing one. When the pass game wasn’t working, Maye used his athleticism to help the Patriots to their first playoff win since the 2018 NFL season.

Maye ran the ball 10 times for 66 yards on Sunday night, setting a Patriots playoff franchise record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in team history.

The Chargers had a talented defensive line, but Maye was able to escape multiple times for big run plays. His 37-yard run in the second quarter was the longest run by a quarterback in Patriots postseason history.

“Those guys up front, they play hard, they’re relentless. They want to get to the passer,” Maye said, “Oftentimes when our guys stay inside-out protection, that leaves some lanes for me to take advantage. Play some man in the back end. Anytime you got that, you have a chance to go and make some plays. From there, it was just trying to get down, just give us a chance to pick up some mobile first downs.”

Maye stepped up when it mattered most.

In the first half, the quarterback completed 6 of 15 passes for 95 yards with an interception. In the second half, Maye took control, completing 11 of 14 passes for 173 yards with a touchdown.

Afterward, Maye lamented a missed scoring opportunity with Austin Hooper in the end zone.

“Just got to be better, whether it’s accuracy or ball placement or little things, making decisions faster,” Maye said. “Held onto the ball a little bit tonight. Finally got one in the end. I missed Hoop on a touchdown. Feel like I missed Pop [ DeMario Douglas ] on a third down low. It wasn’t my best tonight. But that’s why you have teammates; those guys picked me up. Never lost confidence.”

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