A playoff win is a playoff win, but for Drake Maye, the 16-3 victory over the Chargers felt anything but satisfying. Despite the New England Patriots‘ 16-3 triumph and the Pats Nation buzzing, the quarterback made it clear that while the result mattered, his performance stuck with him.

“I didn’t throw very well tonight,” said Maye to the media right after the game. “I need to be better. We did what we had to do, and that’s what it takes in the playoffs. And just proud of this team. That was fun; that was fun to get one at home, and look forward to be back here next week.”

Stat-wise, the night was busy and messy at the same time. Maye finished 17 of 29 through the air for 268 yards, tossing one touchdown and one interception. Meanwhile, he also hurt the Bolts with his legs, running 10 times for 66 yards. However, the box score did not hide everything. He also fumbled twice, one of which resulted in a turnover that shifted momentum, leaving head coach Mike Vrabel unhappy.

Still, this game never slipped because the Pats’ defense refused to blink. Yes, one interception came off a tip, but the response was immediate. After that pick, the Bolts marched into the red zone with a high level of confidence, only to get stuffed on fourth and goal. As a result, the City of Angels walked away with zero points on that drive.

Because of that, Maye made sure the spotlight shifted to where he felt it belonged.

“But this defense was so fun to watch. Congrats to them. It was so fun to watch. They won the game for us,” Maye said.

If Maye’s first half against the Chargers is anything to go by, he did not look like the same quarterback he was throughout the 2025 season. Sure, he had a few nice scrambles to set up field goals, but the quarterback was largely struggling against Jim Harbaugh’s defense.

The numbers don’t paint a pretty picture either. Drake Maye had a measly 58.6% completion percentage against the Chargers. That’s a significant dip from 77.8% against the Dolphins and 90.5% against the New York Jets on December 28th. He even had a 60.9% completion percentage against the Bills, even though the Patriots lost that game 31-35.

Still, the self-critique did not stop with the quarterback. Head coach Mike Vrabel also weighed in and shared his own frustration with Maye’s night.

Mike Vrabel opens up about Drake Maye’s performance

From the start, the Patriots’ offense looked shaky early. Drake Maye did not have his usual rhythm, and the timing felt off. And in the post-game, Mike Vrabel did not dodge the question about his QB’s performance.

Vrabel kept his message balanced when breaking down Maye’s night.

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“We’ve got to take care of the football,” Vrabel said. “Though he came through when we needed him. The tipped pass is something that was unfortunate… The throw to Hunter, I thought, when we needed him, was elite.”

The scoreboard stayed quiet early as neither team found the end zone in the first half. Still, the Pats grabbed a 6-3 lead before halftime. That edge came after the defense saved the day, stuffing the Bolts on fourth down at the goal line following Maye’s first-quarter interception. As a result, the momentum never fully flipped.

However, the rough patches did not stop after the break. Maye lost a fumble in the third quarter once the Pats pushed into the red zone again. Yet once more, the defense held firm and kept the lead safe.

Finally, Maye delivered the decisive blow with a 28-yard touchdown strike to Hunter Henry, pushing the score to 16-3 with 9:45 left and giving everyone in the building room to breathe.

Because of that win, the bigger picture now looks different. Next, they stay home again in the divisional round, waiting on either the Texans or the Steelers.