Drake Maye led the Patriots to a 28–16, rockfight of a win over the Texans on Sunday afternoon—a victory that sends New England to the AFC championship game for the first time since 2018—and hours after the final whistle, the star signal caller couldn't help himself from getting a couple of extra passes in.
As I sat through the bludgeoning of snow that continued to fall over Gillette Stadium, breaking down the defensive slugfest that had just taken place, I noticed a group of people emerge from the tunnel. It was Maye, flanked by his wife, Ann Michael, and what I can safely assume was his equally athletic family, taking in the final moments of inclement weather in Foxborough. The Patriots’ quarterback grabbed a football and started firing—this time, backyard-style—before calling it a day.
Take a look:
Drake Maye is still out here dropping dimes through the snow. pic.twitter.com/L542rFpIwP
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) January 19, 2026
“This is New England,” Maye told ESPN’s Lisa Salters of the weather after the game. “This is what we try to embrace and want to embrace all season long. Props to our defense, [they] played a hell of a game. We’ve got to protect the football better, but we found ways to win.”
Maye completed 17-of-29 pass attempts for 268 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon, but he also fumbled four times—two of which were fortunately recovered by his own team—and threw an interception. Behind a stifling performance from their defense, however, the Patriots were able to overcome their offensive mistakes and notch another win in their impressive 2025 season.
New England will now head to Denver this coming weekend to take on the Broncos, with a chance to advance to Super Bowl LX on the line. Kickoff from Empower Field at Mile High is set for 3 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Drake Maye Was Still Throwing Passes Through the Snow Hours After Win Over Texans.
