Patriots Top Chargers in AFC Wild-Card Showdown
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In a tense matchup, Drake Maye tossed a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter, leading New England to a 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC wild-card playoff game on Sunday night.
Andy Borregales contributed three field goals for the Patriots (15-3), marking their first playoff win since their Super Bowl triumph in 2018. They will now prepare to host the winner of the divisional playoff clash between Pittsburgh and Houston happening tomorrow.
Maye, in his playoff debut, completed 17 of 29 passes for 268 yards and was also the team’s top rusher with 66 yards. Although he threw an interception and lost a fumble, the Chargers (11-7) couldn’t take advantage of those mistakes.
The Patriots’ defense was relentless, limiting the Chargers to just 207 yards and sacking Justin Herbert six times, which included a fumble that led to a New England touchdown.
“Shout out to our defense, seriously,” Maye said. “Watching them was a blast tonight.”
This marks the second consecutive year the Chargers have exited in the wild-card round. Herbert managed to complete 19 of 31 passes for 159 yards and was the leading rusher for his team with 57 yards, leaving him 0-3 in playoff appearances.
Interestingly, it’s been since the 2007 season that the Chargers couldn’t manage to score a touchdown in a playoff game, a similar situation that occurred when they lost to the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, 21-12.
In their first possession of the third quarter, New England breathed life into the game, reaching the red zone before Maye was strip-sacked by Odafe Oweh, with Deshaun Hand recovering the ball.
Following a Chargers punt, Maye connected with Keishon Boutte, driving the Patriots 42 yards to set up a 39-yard field goal, extending their lead to 9-3.
As the fourth quarter kicked off, Maye’s 16-yard pass to Boutte, along with a 13-yard run by Rhamondre Stevenson, set the stage for a precise 28-yard touchdown pass to Henry, pushing the score to 16-3.
The Chargers responded with a promising drive, achieving back-to-back first downs. However, Herbert was stripped by linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson on the next play, and he couldn’t recover the ball.
In Los Angeles’ final possession, their drive concluded when Herbert was stopped on fourth down by Milton Williams’ sack.
Patriots Break the Stalemate
The first quarter saw plenty of action, yet it wasn’t until the second quarter that the Patriots managed to break the scoreless tie.
Pinned deep in their territory after a Chargers’ punt, Maye’s pass intended for Austin Hooper was tipped by Tiard Tartt and intercepted by Daiyan Henry.
Los Angeles attempted to capitalize, starting off at the 10-yard line, but a missed pass on fourth-and-2 to Keenan Allen halted their momentum.
Meanwhile, the Patriots seized control with a lengthy drive that included Stevenson’s explosive 48-yard reception. After 13 plays, converting a crucial fourth down, the drive concluded with a 23-yard field goal from Borregales.
