NFL, American Football Herren, USA AFC Divisional Round-Houston Texans at New England Patriots Jan 18, 2026 Foxborough, MA, USA New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye 10 warms up before an AFC Divisional Round game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Foxborough Gillette Stadium MA USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xDavidxButlerxIIx 20260118_kdn_sv3_037
NFL, American Football Herren, USA AFC Divisional Round-Houston Texans at New England Patriots Jan 18, 2026 Foxborough, MA, USA New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye 10 warms up before an AFC Divisional Round game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Foxborough Gillette Stadium MA USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xDavidxButlerxIIx 20260118_kdn_sv3_037
Jan 19, 2026, 11:13 AM CUT
"Got To Do a Better Job": Drake Maye Gets Honest Over Shaky Performance Despite Win Over Texans
Despite leading his team to a win over the Texans and managing to throw 3 touchdowns for 179 passing yards, Drake Maye is not satisfied with his performance.
Maye became the second New England QB, after Tom Brady, to win a playoff game since 2018. Following their 16-28 win over the Houston Texans, the 23-year-old got honest about his outing in the press conference.
“Credit to their defense. We knew they were going to be good, and they lived up to the hype...on the edge is tough. I've got to do a better job stepping up, hitting some guys down the field when we had some chances...the elements were a little tough, I've got to be better with the football when I take off running.”
The Texans' defense neutralized Maye, sacking him five times, one of the highest he has ever gotten this season. The Patriots’ defense and the opponent QB, C.J. Stroud’s multiple mistakes kept him in the game.
This was Maye’s very second playoff victory in his second game. With the next game being against the Broncos, will he be able to move one step closer to the Super Bowl?
Drake Maye on Denver’s Bo Nix
The Denver Broncos won a tough game against the Bills in overtime. However, their QB, Bo Nix, ended his season with a serious ankle injury.
Ahead of his AFC Championship game against the Broncos, Drake Maye expressed his opinion about Nix’s exit.
“Heartbreaking for the player he is, the guy he is. Praying for Bo. I know he'll bounce back. He's a great player in this league, " He added. "They got a great team. Should be a tough one next week."
Nix had a brilliant season with Denver. He hauled in 25 passing touchdowns for 3931 yards in 17 games. In the divisional playoff game against the Bills, he threw for 279 passing yards, along with three scores.
In his absence, Maye will go up against the backup quarterback, Jarrett Stidham. He is 1-3 as a starter and hasn’t started a game since January 7, 2024.
Who do you think will take the conference crown? Tell us in the comments!
Written by
Kalp Thaker
Edited by
Oajaswini Prabhu