The New England Patriots remain alive in the NFL Playoffs after a dominant 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC Wild Card round. In the game, Drake Maye once again showed MVP-caliber play in his postseason debut.
A new era begins in New England
Rookie kicker Andy Borregales (often referred to as Andres/Andy) was key, converting all three of his field goal attempts (including 23- and 35-yard field goals) to help build the lead in a low-scoring defensive battle.
This marked the Patriots’ first playoff win since closing out the 2018 NFL season with their Super Bowl victory-their first postseason triumph in over seven years. In the Divisional Round, New England (now 15-3) will host at home the winner of Monday night’s matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) and the Houston Texans (12-5).
In his first career playoff start, Maye completed 17 of 29 passes for 268 passing yards and a late touchdown-a 28-yard strike to tight end Hunter Henry-while also leading the team in rushing with 66 yards on the ground. He did throw one interception and lose a fumble, but the Chargers failed to capitalize on turnovers.
New England’s defense was the star of the show, holding the Chargers to just 207 total yards and sacking Justin Herbertsix times-one of which forced a key fumble that set up the Patriots’ only touchdown.
For the Los Angeles Chargers (11-6), the loss marks their second straight Wild Card elimination. Herbert finished 19-of-31 for 159 yards with no touchdowns and was the team’s leading rusher with 57 rushing yards. The defeat drops his career playoff record to 0-3, underscoring ongoing postseason struggles despite his regular-season talent.
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