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Drake Maye’s Playoff Schedule Has Been Historically Difficult

Originally posted on The Lead | By Michael Petitto | Last updated Jan 31, 2026 5:56 AM ET

The Patriots are back in the Super Bowl, but people are making a lot of noise about their path to get there.

New England had the benefit of the second-easiest strength of schedule since the 1999 Rams, who went on to beat the Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV.

But the playoffs have been a different story, more specifically for Drake Maye.

Making NFL History

In the league’s history, no quarterback has ever managed to defeat three of the top five defenses in terms of yards allowed in a single postseason. Maye managed to conquer that feat in just the first three rounds of the playoffs.

The Chargers, Broncos and Texans were fifth, second and first in yards allowed in the 2025 regular season, respectively. The Maye-led Patriots were able to overcome this path on the way to the franchise’s 12th Super Bowl appearance.

Sure, those offenses were either limited or ineffective in the postseason, but Maye doesn’t face the offense. The quarterback can really only influence the game by dissecting the defense, something Maye has been able to effectively do.

When looking at the bare stats, the numbers are pedestrian, but numbers don’t tell the full story.

Drake Maye so far in the playoffs has:

55.8% completion percentage
533 passing yards
141 rushing yards
Five touchdowns (one rushing)
Two interceptions
Six fumbles (three lost)

On the surface, the numbers tell a story of a quarterback who has struggled in his first three playoff games. While it’s been far from perfect, Maye has done a serviceable job anchoring the Patriots’ offense against some of the best defenses in the league.

Before diving into New England’s playoff opponents, it’s also important to note the Patriots defense has been playing at an elite level in the postseason.

New England has limited their opponents to 71 rushing yards per game, forced eight total turnovers and has allowed just 8.7 points per game.

Without the Patriots defense stepping up in the bright lights, it’s very likely that another team would be representing the AFC in the Super Bowl. But one can say the same about Maye’s performances against the best defenses the league has to offer.

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Do Your Job

Before the Patriots’ divisional round matchup against the Texans, people made a lot of noise about Houston’s defense and rightfully so.

But with a little help from his own defense, Maye was able to throw for three passing touchdowns, becoming the only quarterback this season to achieve that milestone against that vaunted Texans defense.

Although Maye’s passing numbers aren’t as flashy as they were in the regular season, he’s made up for it by exploiting the ground game.

Through his first three playoff games, Maye has averaged 47 rushing yards per game. It’s a small sample size, but his average in the regular season was 26.

Because New England has been playing these elite defenses, sometimes receivers simply aren’t open. But Maye’s athleticism has allowed for big gains on the ground, which led to arguably the biggest play of the young signal caller’s career.

Drake Maye Called Game

Of all the plays that Drake Maye’s been able to extend with his legs, the most important by far occurred in the AFC Championship.

The Patriots, up by three and with possession of the ball, just needed a first down to ice the game. It was a 3rd-and-six with under two minutes left to play. Denver had no timeouts. They would be unable to stop the clock or the Patriots if they landed a first down.

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Maye and Josh McDaniels dialed up a quarterback bootleg and told no one else. The ball’s in play, Maye takes the snap, runs to his left and not only gets the first down but seals his ticket to Super Bowl LX.

“That’s the great thing about Drake. The ability to extend plays and if it’s not there, gain chunks. He’s done that most of the year,” Mike Vrabel said via CBS News. “We’ll have to get a lot of things corrected and we’ll have to play our best football game in two weeks if we want to finish [as] champions.”

If the Patriots are going to hoist the Lombardi trophy in February, they’re going to need their MVP-caliber quarterback to play well. But don’t let the bare numbers fool you, he’s already playing at an elite level.

This article first appeared on The Lead and was syndicated with permission.

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