PostGame Thread 2025 OFFICIAL Patriots Wild Card PostGame Thread: Patriots win 16-3

[A Defiant Goose]

"New England will have to play at least the next four games without Hollins, including playoffs, with the 32-year-old eligible to return in the postseason if the Patriots advance. With two games remaining in the regular season, Hollins could return by the AFC Championship Game, with a possible first-round bye counting toward the four-game minimum absence."

Roster Analysis: Patriots Place WR Mack Hollins on Injured Reserve, Sign DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and Elevate Two Players from the Practice Squad for Sunday’s Game vs. Jets

Hollins (abdomen) will miss at least the next four games after being placed on injured reserve on Saturday.

www.patriots.com

I tried my best to google the actual NFL rulebook about it and couldn't find anything. Either way the lack of a bye makes it a moot point but if we make it to the AFCCG it'll be a great time to have him back

 

[Ring 6]

One thing that only Collinsworth seems to have noted.

1. Harbaugh went for it on 4th down at the goalline because they thought they could bottle up Maye, as he had just thrown an INT, so if they failed, they were sure they could contain him again.

2. They sent an all out blitz at Drake who was deep in his own end. Drake saw it, audibled out of it, and hit Rham who saw daylight.

3. Collinsworth mentioned this and he was right. It was a huge play because Maye showed he was mature enough to hurt you badly when you underestimated what he could do.

Collinsworth is an idiot. He doesn’t “note” anything he just blathers incoherent thoughts.

Nobody doubts Mayes ability to take advantage of a blitz. Nobody underestimates Maye.
Collinsworth babbling about why Harbaugh went for 4th down and why he blitzed (it wasn’t an all out blitz and it was called by minter) are meaningless, uninformed and almost certainly wrong.

 

[Thelonious]

Maye was NOT bad dude. Not as good as he usually is but he was lights out in the 2nd half. You're letting your hate make you delusional too

I agree. I suppose any qb always has two adversaries, the opponent in the one hand, his own mistakes and the sometimes crippling self-doubt that follows those mistakes on the other. Drake overcame his errors and whatever doubts he may have had, then he beat the opponent. His immunity to folding under pressure both internal and external is really remarkable. Excellent QB play starts between the ears, and in that region, the guy is superlative.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

Also forgot to mention this was a great win because of how they responded back from the 41-7 beatdown this Chargers team gave them last season. Aside from the OT's injured, this was pretty much the same Chargers team.

They may have to exercise their demons again against the Texans as I can see Rodgers choking tonight.

I think the Texans win tonight but I don't think it's as clear-cut as people are making it out to be. Houston is getting to be a bit overrated. Great defense, but their offense can be had. I could see 16-10 type of loss for Houston either tonight or next week

 

[uknepatsfan]

Part of me wants Aaron Rodgers to win so we can send him home as well.

I have a feeling they will win tonight.

For all Houston’s pass rush, I get the feeling Pitts experience is going to be the difference, especially playing at home. I can see similar thing happening to Houston that happened to Jacksonville.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I think the Texans win tonight but I don't think it's as clear-cut as people are making it out to be. Houston is getting to be a bit overrated. Great defense, but their offense can be had. I could see 16-10 type of loss for Houston either tonight or next week

Yep. Their offense is very pedestrian.

 

[Real fan 02]

The Patriots defense was frankly impressive. Stifling is the word that best describes what they were last night.

That’s why the Patriots are in the divisional round. Maye was bad.

The defense was phenomenal.. we don't get to where we are with 14 wins without Drake.. prior to Allen you have plenty of experience of ****ty seasons and super bowl losses.. 4 of them to be exact..

 

[Real fan 02]

Yep. Their offense is very pedestrian.

That's why I give pitt a punchers chance

 

[Real fan 02]

I have a feeling they will win tonight.

For all Houston’s pass rush, I get the feeling Pitts experience is going to be the difference, especially playing at home. I can see similar thing happening to Houston that happened to Jacksonville.

Jacksonville was a fraud team and I always felt that way about them i was never convinced in Lawrence.. he lacks certain awareness an elite QB should possess.

 

[mike_usagisan]

I tried my best to google the actual NFL rulebook about it and couldn't find anything. Either way the lack of a bye makes it a moot point but if we make it to the AFCCG it'll be a great time to have him back

Apparently Evan Lazar queried it (I think with Vrabel or the NFL) and was told that the bye counts as a game. It might not be in the rule book, but he was told that is the rule.

 

[GreenCow]

Maye was NOT bad dude. Not as good as he usually is but he was lights out in the 2nd half. You're letting your hate make you delusional too

I have no hate for Maye. I’ve been telling Bills fans for 2 years to watch out because he’s gonna be a stud.

But he was bad last night.

He had 3 turnovers!!! He completed 58% of his passes! His offense scored 16 points. He was bad.

If you were being honest, you would admit it too. But I get it - homers are never gonna admit the negatives of their player.

Doesn’t mean he is a bad player or will be bad next week. Doesn’t even mean that he didn’t make some good plays in the game. But he was overall bad yesterday.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Apparently Evan Lazar queried it (I think with Vrabel or the NFL) and was told that the bye counts as a game. It might not be in the rule book, but he was told that is the rule.

It should count.

 

[PatsFan2]

I don’t think Maye was bad as whole at all.

He had a couple awful plays. But down to down, he remained pretty solid.

That drive for the Game sealing TD was a Huge moment in the Game. I felt like any chance the Chargers had disintegrated after that score.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I have no hate for Maye. I’ve been telling Bills fans for 2 years to watch out because he’s gonna be a stud.

But he was bad last night.

He had 3 turnovers!!! His offense scored 16 points. He was bad.

He didn't have a good night, but he kept fighting and found other ways to help his team. Defense backed him up until he put it away late. He will have another big test next week.

 

[GreenCow]

He didn't have a good night, but he kept fighting and found other ways to help his team. Defense backed him up until he put it away late. He will have another big test next week.

That’s a fair take. I have zero doubt he will be better next week.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

I have no hate for Maye. I’ve been telling Bills fans for 2 years to watch out because he’s gonna be a stud.

But he was bad last night.

He had 3 turnovers!!! He completed 58% of his passes! His offense scored 16 points. He was bad.

If you were being honest, you would admit it too. But I get it - homers are never gonna admit the negatives of their player.

Doesn’t mean he is a bad player or will be bad next week. Doesn’t even mean that he didn’t make some good plays in the game. But he was overall bad yesterday.

You don't have to be a homer to say his game last night was not "bad." Herbert had a "bad" game. Maye had a pedestrian/mediocre game at worst. You are putting way too much of an emphasis on the two turnovers, one of which was a tipped pass at the LOS. Those are just unlucky and happen at times. Really his worst play was the fumble lost and the missed Hooper throw. If Maye had a bad game last night, I wonder how you feel about the play of the other QBs in the wildcard round.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

I have no hate for Maye. I’ve been telling Bills fans for 2 years to watch out because he’s gonna be a stud.

But he was bad last night.

He had 3 turnovers!!! He completed 58% of his passes! His offense scored 16 points. He was bad.

If you were being honest, you would admit it too. But I get it - homers are never gonna admit the negatives of their player.

Doesn’t mean he is a bad player or will be bad next week. Doesn’t even mean that he didn’t make some good plays in the game. But he was overall bad yesterday.

He was bad in the first half, 2nd half he had a 140 QB rating.

Also it needs nuance first time playoff quarterbacks have a horrible track record, it's normally a multiple turnover game with a loss so Maye didn't play good by this years standards but a win and an 86 QB rating for a playoff debut is well above the average that you get from that position in a playoff debut.

 

[GreenCow]

You don't have to be a homer to say his game last night was not "bad." Herbert had a "bad" game. Maye had a pedestrian/mediocre game at worst. You are putting way too much of an emphasis on the two turnovers, one of which was a tipped pass at the LOS. Those are just unlucky and happen at times. Really his worst play was the fumble lost and the missed Hooper throw. If Maye had a bad game last night, I wonder how you feel about the play of the other QBs in the wildcard round.

3 turnovers is not pedestrian or mediocre. It’s bad.

58% is not pedestrian or mediocre either.

If either of those stats were mediocre then average QB’s would have 40+ turnovers each year.

I’m genuinely shocked that such an overall smart fanbase is being so… homerish.

 

[Uptown]

 

[Uptown]