The two young quarterbacks square off with a lot on the line for both their squads this Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
It may seem like a niche topic among their respective fan bases, but there is always a lot to say about the postseason matchups between the Los Angeles Chargers and the New England Patriots.
Dating back to the iconic divisional game between the two teams in the AFC Divisional Round in early 2007, a game that the Chargers, on paper, should have dominated. All the way to the Patriots getting red hot over a decade later with a dominant Tom Brady performance at home in the same round. Ousting the confident Chargers from an AFC title appearance with a 41-28 win.
Now we're in a new era; Phillip Rivers is, well, semi-retired, and Brady has a game to call this weekend on FOX. It's Maye vs. Herbert Sunday night, and it may be a thrill ride to watch.
For starters, Maye and Herbert can both sling it. Case in point: this video was posted by Sunday Night Football's Twitter page.
There will be a lot to prove on the field this Sunday. Maye comes into this first playoff appearance fresh off the heels of what feels like a historic regular season run in his second year. A 72% completion percentage is a result of some of the footage you've seen from above.
Herbert comes into the game with an edge that entices Chargers fans. Despite a messy offensive line, Herbert can make it work while on the run. A valuable point brought up on the Patriots Roundtable Podcast this week was that Herbert leads the NFL with nine touchdown passes outside the pocket.
Mayes's precision and confidence in the pocket are what seem to give him an advantage to the eye. He joined the likes of fellow Patriots quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady this season by crossing over 4,000 total passing yards. Something the organization had not seen in over half a decade. He edges out Herbert by a little under a thousand yards.
Both teams' goal is to make an early jumpstart on the scoreboard. Maye and the Pats have struggled in the end zone all season. Luckily, some trickery in that region of the field in the last few weeks of the season, along with some Wildcat offense plays, got them touchdowns rather than field goals. That could be key in a Patriots win if these two quarterbacks don't get in a shootout.
Herbert comes in 0-2 in the playoffs with losses in 2023 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and last season to the Houston Texans. Maye looks to establish his postseason presence on Sunday night with a win.
Expect one of these guys to make a statement at Gillette Stadium.