Drake Maye made NFL history in the AFC Championship – relating to the schedule
Drake Maye and the New England Patriots made a little bit of NFL playoff scheduling history on their run this year.
Jan 25, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) holds the AFC Championship trophy while speaking to the media after defeating the Denver Broncos in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High.
Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesA lot was made about the 'easy' schedule the New England Patriots had during the 2025 regular season. Yet in the playoffs, the Patriots and quarterback Drake Maye just made history for how difficult their schedule has been.
On their way to punching a ticket to Super Bowl LX, the Maye and the Patriots beat the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, and then the Denver Broncos. What do those three teams have in common? They're among the three best defenses in the NFL, creating a first-of-a-kind trifecta.
According to senior NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno, those wins make Maye the first quarterback in NFL history to win three playoff games against three top-five ranked defenses in a single postseason on the way to a Super Bowl. The Chargers ranked fifth in total defense in 2025, the Texans first, and the Broncos second.
All three were strong scoring defenses as well. The Texans and Broncos ranked second and third in scoring, respectively, while the Chargers ranked ninth.
As is to be expected, it was more of surviving and advancing against those defenses, but Maye did what he needed to do. Over those three games he completed 55.8% of his passes for 533 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. He also ran 24 times for 141 yards and an additional score.
Perhaps the biggest issue for Maye during this run was pressure. He was sacked 15 times - five in each games - and fumbled six times. Three of those were lost, but he managed to play turnover-free against Denver.
With that going on, the Patriots' defense played a big role in helping Maye accomplish this feat. They allowed just 26 points over all three games. Only three teams have allowed fewer points thru three games in last 40 postseasons, and all three won the Super Bowl (1985 Bears, 1986 Giants, 2000 Ravens).
The tough stretch will continue in the Super Bowl, too. They'll play the Seattle Seahawks, who ranked sixth in the NFL in total defense and first in scoring, allowing just 17.2 points per game.
This comes as Maye also becomes the second-youngest starting quarterback in the history of the Super Bowl. Only Dan Marino was younger when he started for the Dolphins in 1984.
