The New England Patriots Are Drunk on Luck: Drake Maye Tried to Lose, But Houston Refused to Win
If Bill Belichick was watching Sunday’s game from his couch, he probably broke the remote.
The scoreboard says the New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 28-16 to advance to the AFC Championship. But anyone who actually watched this “football game” knows the truth: This wasn’t a clinic. It was a comedy of errors.
The Patriots didn’t win because they are a well-oiled machine. They won because the Houston Texans decided to stage a meltdown of historic proportions.
Drake Maye, the anointed savior of Foxborough, fumbled the ball four times. Let me repeat that. In a do-or-die playoff game, the franchise quarterback put the ball on the ground four times. In the old days, that gets you benched. In 2026, it apparently gets you a ticket to Denver.
The Myth of the “Great” Performance
The local Boston media is already spinning this as a “gritty” win. They are praising the defense. They are highlighting Maye’s three touchdown passes (which, to be fair, were beautiful).
But we need to be sharp here. “Grit” is what you have when you run the ball into a stacked box. Sloppiness is when you drop the football because it’s cold.
This game featured eight turnovers combined. It looked less like the NFL Playoffs and more like a mid-tier SEC rivalry game played in a mud pit.
C.J. Stroud, usually a surgeon in the pocket, threw four interceptions. He looked lost, cold, and broken. The Patriots’ defense deserves credit for confusing him, sure. Marcus Jones’ pick-six was electric. But let’s not pretend the Patriots dominated. They simply survived a game of Russian Roulette where Houston kept pulling the trigger on themselves.
The Drake Maye Dilemma: Favre or Fluke?
Here is the question no one in New England wants to ask today: Is Drake Maye actually trustworthy?
Yes, he made the throws when he had to. That 32-yard touchdown to Kayshon Boutte in the fourth quarter was a dime. It showed why he was a top pick. He has the arm talent to erase his own mistakes.
But you cannot erase four fumbles against a team like the Denver Broncos.
Next week, the Patriots travel to Mile High to face the #1 seed Broncos. If Maye plays loose with the football there, the season ends before halftime. The “Chaos Engine” style of football—where you trade turnovers for big plays—works against a crumbling Texans team. It does not work against a Super Bowl contender.
The Death of the “Patriot Way”
For two decades, the “Patriot Way” meant discipline. It meant zero mistakes. It meant boring, suffocating competence.
Sunday proved that era is dead and buried. This new version of the Patriots is wild, undisciplined, and high-variance. They are fun to watch, yes. But they are a heart attack waiting to happen.
Jerod Mayo has built a team that thrives on adrenaline rather than precision. They are the drunk guy at the bar who wins a fight by accident. It’s entertaining, but is it a strategy?
No Greats here
So, celebrate the win, New England. You are one game away from the Super Bowl.
But don’t lie to yourselves. You didn’t witness greatness on Sunday. You witnessed a survival horror movie. You escaped the Texans because C.J. Stroud had the worst day of his life, not because you played championship football.
If you bring that same sloppy, fumble-happy energy to Denver next Sunday? It won’t be a game. It will be an execution.
