Drake Maye fumbles: Quarterback survives four fumbles as Patriots advance to AFC Championship

Jake Mozarsky

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Drake Maye fumbles: Quarterback survives four fumbles as Patriots advance to AFC Championship image

In his second season, Drake Maye has emerged as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, leading the Patriots to a 28–16 victory over the Texans to secure New England's first AFC Championship berth since 2018.

Though on a snowy day in Foxborough, Maye was in the middle of a turnover-fest against Houston’s No. 1 ranked defense. The quarterback fumbled the ball four times, and while he was lucky to lose only one of those loose balls, he also threw an interception during a chaotic first half that saw the two teams combine for eight total turnovers.

The blizzard at Gillette Stadium played a major role, as Maye struggled to maintain a grip on the ball amidst the heavy precipitation and a relentless Houston pass rush led by Will Anderson Jr. While his four fumbles highlighted the immense difficulty of navigating a playoff game in a New England winter, Maye displayed his trademark resilience by throwing three touchdowns— including a 7-yard strike to Stefon Diggs and a highlight-reel, one-handed dagger to Kayshon Boutte — to overcome the errors and punch New England's ticket to Mile High.

Here's more on how Maye and the Patriots survived the elements to set up a conference championship showdown with the Denver Broncos.

MORE: Patriots eliminate Texans in turnover-filled divisional round

Drake Maye fumbles

Maye lost the ball four times today, two of them resulting in a turnover. The first one came in the first quarter, setting up Houston in opponent territory.

The quarterback lost two more in the second quarter, but was bailed out by his offensive line twice. In the third quarter, though, he lost his second fumble of the game. 

Maye has three turnovers today, two fumbles and an interception — which came on the final Hail Mary. He lost two additional fumbles, both recovered by his offensive lineman.

MORE: C.J. Stroud's four interceptions doom Texans against Pats

Drake Maye stats

Maye did not have his best performance, constantly being harassed by the NFL's top scoring defense in what was a turnover-filled game. 

  • Completions:  16
  • Attempts:  27
  • Passing Yards:  179
  • Passing TDs:  3
  • Interceptions:  1
  • Rushing Yards:  12
  • Rushing TDs:  0
  • Sacks:  5
  • Fumbles:  4
  • Lost Fumbles:  2

Though, the quarterback did enough for New England and got the most important stat of them all — a win.

MORE: Who has the most turnovers in an NFL playoff game?

Staff Writer