Why Drake Maye is primed to be great equalizer against Chargers stingy pass defense

According to NextGen Stats, Maye led the NFL with 112 downfield completions during the 2025 regular season, including 99 completions under pressure.

Despite ranking third in the league in air yards per pass attempt (9.2), it’s a credit to Maye’s efficient play that he still sported a league-best 72.0 percent completion on the year. 

In total, Maye’s 72% completion rate was +9.1 percent over expected given his propensity to let it fly on his throws — which stands as the highest mark by any QB in the NextGen Stats era (since 2016). 

But on paper, Sunday’s playoff opponent in the Chargers could present some turbulence for New England’s high-flying offense. 

Los Angeles defensive coordinators Jesse Minter’s zone-heavy defense has served as a thorn in the side of opposing QBs all season long, especially when it comes to snuffing out explosive plays. 

Beyond ranking second in the NFL in interception rate this season, the Chargers don’t let a lot sneak past their physical secondary. In total, Los Angeles allowed the second-fewest number of passing plays of 20 yards or more this season with 37.  

On the year, QBs matched up against the Chargers are sporting a 75.0 passer rating — the lowest in the NFL — and are only completing 60.79 percent of their passes, the fifth-lowest mark in the league. 

“One of the things that they do best is have eyes on the quarterback,” Maye said on Wednesday. “They force a lot of three-and-outs. I think they’re one of the top five defenses in forcing three-and-outs. They keep people in front of you. They don’t have a lot of X plays on them. They try to limit big plays, and I think that’s one of the biggest things I see from them on tape. 

“They’re good on the edge. They’re physical, and I think from an attacking standpoint, if there’s any coverage, there’s always a void. So, I think we’ve seen about all of them you can see this year, and we’ve had success and had some plays that we wish we had back against them.”

Maye is right. The Chargers’ defense have done a great job all season of keeping their eyes on the quarterback, limiting big plays, and capitalizing on mistakes. 

But as he added, there’s always a void in coverage. And the Patriots’ young QB has been one of the best in the league this season at carving up zone defenses by finding soft spots across the field. 

As noted by Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar, the Chargers under Minter rank fourth in the NFL with an 80.7 zone coverage rate this year.

That would be a welcome sight for a player like Maye, given that he’s carved up zone defenses all season long. 

Lazar noted that Maye leads all qualified quarterbacks in EPA (expected points added) per drop-back against zone coverage, especially against Los Angeles’ most-utilized coverages in quarters and cover-three. 

In particular, Maye has thrived against cover-three schemes, sporting an impressive +72.7 expected points against that set-up out on the field. 

Having three defensive backs hovering back to snuff out deep throws down the field could limit the home-run-hitting capabilities put on display by Maye and New England all season long. 

But Maye has proven adept at capitalizing against cover-3 with the intermediate throws that oftentimes gain chunk yardage and move the chains — especially when reliable targets like Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry are attacking the seams between zones. 

As he noted on Wednesday, Maye is still willing to test Los Angeles’ defense down the field when the opportunities arise. But the Patriots’ QB is also more than happy to take what the Chargers’ defense is giving him on Sunday. 

That may not mean 40 to 50-yard bombs down the field to the likes of Kayshon Boutte or Kyle Williams.

But if Maye is continually ducking pressure and hitting Diggs and Henry for 10-20 yards in the soft spots of coverage, the Chargers might have few answers as far as slowing down New England’s offense. 

“I think you just take chances when they’re there,” Maye acknowledged. “I think in one-on-one coverage, you’ve got to take chances. One-on-one, I like our guys. They’re making plays on the football when they have one-on-one coverage, and I like putting ball placement and giving them a chance to go make a play.

“At the same time, just be patient. Don’t get bored being efficient, executing underneath and letting things come to you. I think that’s the biggest thing is starting off, staying on track on first and second down and knowing that when we’re behind the sticks, they have the advantage.”

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.