Drake Maye faces a brutal challenge that could decide the Chargers game

For much of the Patriots' 2025 season, they were criticized for not facing tough enough opponents, and some believe that is why they ended the year with a 14-3 record, which explains how Drake Maye is considered an MVP candidate in just year two.

While there are plenty of ways to debunk that narrative, it won't be a talking point going into their wild-card matchup with the Chargers on Sunday, because they have one of the best defenses over the past two months, making LA the toughest group the young quarterback will have faced this season.

It's a factor Chargers fans are banking on, as the Patriots are the current betting favorites for the game, and they hope Maye will be "exposed" by facing the most dominant defense in a single yet vital statistic.

We've seen how he performs against tough passing defenses, as he's faced some of the top groups in that area during the year, but this will be a new challenge for Maye on Sunday.

It could become even more difficult with the rise of Khalil Mack since returning from his elbow injury in Week 8, as he has been on an absolute tear in the weeks since, which could pose a big problem for the Patriots' banged-up offensive line.

The Chargers' defense is going to present a challenge that Drake Maye is yet to face

Although it's significant that Maye will have Will Campbell back in the lineup this week, Mike Vrabel revealed that starting center Garrett Bradbury, tackle Vederian Lowe, and starting right tackle Morgan Moses are dealing with an illness early in the week.

That could become a big factor come Sunday night, depending on how they fare the rest of the week, as well as starting left guard Jared Wilson, who attended practice on Wednesday with a no-contact jersey on

The hope is that everyone will be ready to go by game time, but if not, Mack might have an easy night getting to Maye, which doesn't bode well for the Patriots' chances.

If he's able to perform at that level on Sunday, the momentum will surely be in the Chargers' favor.

That's a disaster for Maye and offense to hopefully avoid, but it won't be easy if they're down any of their starters. Given that it's the playoffs, it's fair to assume they'll do all that they can to ensure they're on the field, but it's far from certain.

Maye might have to scramble more, which he's done a lot of this season, and keep plays going with his legs. Then comes the concern about the risk of injury, yet if the offensive line is struggling, it will be his only option.

At this point, there's a need for optimism that all will be well by the time they're set to take the field, and that they'll be able to hold their own against an impressive defense and continue shutting down the discourse that they're not a legitimate playoff threat.