Patriots path to Super Bowl: How New England overcame Drake Maye's subpar playoff stats to reach championship

The New England Patriots’ journey back to the top of the AFC East was partly the result of a breakthrough season from QB Drake Maye, who positioned himself as an MVP candidate in his second year.

Conventional wisdom would suggest the Patriots needed more dominance from Maye to reach Super Bowl 60, but that simply hasn’t been the case.

A stellar defense powered New England to an AFC championship, while Maye flashed some of his regular-season prowess on occasion but hasn’t been nearly as productive in the playoffs as he was over the first 17 games of the season.

Here’s a look at how the Patriots reached the Super Bowl without any signature performances from their quarterback.

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Patriots path to Super Bowl

The Patriots held opponents to an average of 8.7 points per game across their first three playoff games, forcing eight turnovers. New England allowed only six points in the second half across three playoff games, showcasing the type of defense coach Mike Vrabel intended to build as soon as he arrived in Foxborough.

Patriots vs. Chargers

The Patriots didn't score their first touchdown of the playoffs until the fourth quarter of their wild-card round win over the Los Angeles Chargers, but their two first-half field goals would have been enough to get the job done. The defense allowed only three points, sacking Justin Herbert six times in a 16-3 victory.

Drake Maye stats

• Comp. rate: 58.6% (17/29)
• Pass yards: 258
• Pass TD: 1
• INT: 1 
• Passer rating: 86.6
• Rush attempts: 10
• Rush yards: 66
• Rush TD: 0
• Fumbles lost: 1

Maye threw for 258 yards against the Chargers but committed two turnovers, including a lost fumble. He did make a serious impact on the ground, rushing for 66 yards on 10 attempts. 

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Patriots vs. Texans

28 points might be a deceptive total out of the Patriots' divisional round win over the Houston Texans, as the offense largely struggled against a physical Texans defense but New England capitalized on a whopping five Houston turnovers.

C.J. Stroud threw four interceptions in the first half alone, including a pick-six by Marcus Jones.

Drake Maye stats

• Comp. rate: 59.3% (16/27)
• Pass yards: 179
• Pass TD: 3
• INT: 1 
• Passer rating: 100.7
• Rush attempts: 4
• Rush yards: 10
• Rush TD: 0
• Fumbles lost: 2

Maye was a mixed bag against the Texans, who admittedly boast one of the NFL's elite defenses. He threw for three touchdowns, capitalizing on Houston turnovers, and his lone interception came on a Hail Mary attempt and was inconsequential.

On the other hand, Maye fumbled four times, losing two of them, and he was held to only 179 yards while taking five sacks. It was enough to get the job done against the Texans, but it wasn't quite the Maye that Patriots fans got used to in the regular season.

MORE: Inside the Patriots' 4-13 to 14-3 turnaround in Year 1 under Mike Vrabel

Patriots vs. Broncos 

The Patriots' offense started very slowly in Denver with an AFC championship on the line, but Maye and New England were able to take advantage of prime field position in the red zone when Jarrett Stidham lost the ball on a backward pass. 

That was the Patriots' only touchdown of the game, but a drive that came up just short of the goal line in the third quarter resulted in a go-ahead field goal by Andy Borregales.

Drake Maye stats

• Comp. rate: 47.6% (10/21)
• Pass yards: 86
• Pass TD: 0
• INT: 0
• Passer rating: 58.8
• Rush attempts: 10
• Rush yards: 65
• Rush TD: 1
• Fumbles lost: 0

With heavy snow moving in by the third quarter, Maye posted uncharacteristic numbers in the AFC championship game. The second-year standout completed only 10 passes and threw for 86 yards, posting a passer rating of 58.8.

Maye did partially make up for the slow day through the air with 65 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and his rushing performance included a run for a first down to ice the game late in the fourth quarter.

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Drake Maye playoff stats 2026

Maye's stats in the playoffs are well below his regular season standard, with five total touchdowns, two interceptions and six fumbles (three lost) across three games.

Maye's numbers come with the caveat that the Patriots have faced three of the NFL's strongest defenses, and games against the Texans and Broncos were at least partly played in adverse weather conditions. Still, New England might be looking for more from Maye in Super Bowl 60 with the conditions likely to be much better.