Patriots prove they can win on an off night for Drake Maye

Drake Maye's breakout season will earn him MVP votes, and rightfully so. But his dominance belied an incomplete team, that may not be able to go on a deep playoff run without their quarterback playing at a superhuman level.

Sunday night's win over the Chargers went a long way toward proving that theory wrong.

The Patriots mainly rode a stifling defense to victory on Sunday night, outlasting the Chargers by a 16-3 final. Maye did come alive a bit in the second half with a 142.0 passer rating and the only touchdown of the night, but he also committed his second fumble and was lucky to have his teammate recover it. Maye turned the ball over twice, including an interception that was tipped at the line. Ultimately, the Patriots aren't going to give up only three points every game and they will likely need to score more than 16 going forward if they want to keep winning.

But for one game, the defense proved up to the challenge of facing one of the league's most talented quarterbacks in Justin Herbert. Getting fresh reinforcements back in the lineup, most notably linebacker Robert Spillane, the pieces fell into place for the defense unlike they had in weeks. They limited the Chargers to just 207 net yards of offense (87 rushing, 120 passing), 1-for-10 on third down, and 0-for-2 in the red zone.

“I am just so proud of this defense," Spillane said after the game. "We have really come together, and to hold an offense like that to three points in a playoff game is huge for us. It is just another boost of confidence for what we have already been doing all year, so we are just going to continue sticking to the game plan that we have been on and take it from here.”

As the Patriots offense struggled in the first half, either to move the ball or to protect it, the defense kept Herbert and the Chargers in check. They set the tone for the game on their second drive, which started at their own 10-yard line after the Chargers' Daiyan Henley intercepted a deflected pass attempt. Herbert tried running it in on three straight plays, but the defense made three straight tackles -- even 5-foot-8 Marcus Jones, who cut Herbert down by the tree trunks right at the doorstep. Jones also knocked the ball out of Herbert's hands on another play.

"I kind of think I'm 6-3 out there as well," Jones quipped. "Some people may say it's little man syndrome, but, you know, I just see myself as bigger than what I am."

Despite keeping the Chargers off the scoreboard with sound tackling and coverage, the Patriots struggled to generate a consistent pass rush in the early stages of the game, particularly when they only rushed four guys up front. But they started to get home in the second half, and that's when arguably their two most important pass-rushers made two of the biggest plays of the game. K'Lavon Chaisson forced a late fumble that linebacker Christian Elliss recovered, then defensive tackle Milton Williams essentially sealed the win with a fourth-down sack against Herbert. Williams may very well be earning the new "Closer" title for the Pats.

Williams has now played in five straight playoff wins, dating back to last year's Super Bowl-winning run for the Eagles. He's done his best to transfer that winning DNA to the Patriots locker room, and he does it by being more of a lead-by-example type who does most of his talking on the field.

“I just keep it simple. I am not a big rah-rah guy unless we are playing. I just keep it simple," Williams said. "Tell the boys, man, this is just another football game. We have been doing this all our lives. Keep it simple. We do not need any superhero, superhuman effort from anybody. Just go out there and do your job and be where you are supposed to be. The rest is going to take care of itself. We did it tonight.”

The most promising part of this win for the Patriots, and the stories coming out of it, is how little Maye will even be mentioned. And when he is mentioned, it's likely to be more about the turnovers, the spotty accuracy. Those are likely to get more airtime on 98.5 The Sports Hub than his scintillating touchdown pass to Hunter Henry, or his 37-yard scramble at the end of the first half. But for the Pats to come out with a win, anyway, is a good sign for them going forward.

"This defense was so fun to watch. Congrats to them. It was so fun to watch. They won the game for us," Maye said. "I didn't throw very well tonight. Need to be better. We did what we had to do. That's what it takes in the Playoffs. Proud of this team. That was fun to get one at home. Look forward to being back here next week."

They will only face tougher tests, especially the defense, which is set to face either Aaron Rodgers (goes without saying) or C.J. Stroud (has at least won a playoff game before) in the divisional round. It'll be imperative for Maye and the offense to muster more than 16 points.

But now, they can at least say they have other units capable of lifting them up when things aren't going as planned. And that's the mark of a winning team in January.