Playing against the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, among others recently, should have the Chargers primed to face MVP candidate Maye and his passing and throwing abilities.
The Chargers defeated Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl runner-up Kansas City Chiefs twice this season. They needed overtime but they defeated Jalen Hurts and the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. They defeated Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. Their second-string defense held Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos without a touchdown.
So, judging by their mostly winning results since their bye in Week 12, the Chargers’ defense should be well prepared for the many strengths of New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye going into their AFC wild-card playoff game Sunday night in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Plainly, Maye is not the same baby-faced quarterback they faced last season, when the Chargers handled him and the Patriots with remarkable ease, riding quarterback Justin Herbert’s three touchdown passes to a resounding 40-7 victory on a cold, rainy, raw afternoon in Week 17.
Well, Maye is still baby-faced, but he has also emerged as a leading MVP candidate in his second NFL season. After all, he finished fourth in the league with 4,394 passing yards, completing 72% of his attempts with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, leading the Patriots to a 14-3 record.
Clearly, Maye’s resume is thin compared to the other quarterbacks with similar throwing and running abilities, especially Mahomes, Hurts and Prescott, but he has sparked the second-seeded Patriots’ resurgence this season.
