Rapid Recap: Patriots Discharged by Playoff-Bound Chargers

2. Maye Re-Enters the Chat

Against expectations, Maye returned to the sideline in the second quarter and re-entered the game after the Chargers took their 10-0 lead. The Gillette Stadium crowd gave the rookie QB a nice ovation as he re-took the field and Maye immediately scrambled on first down and took a hit while sliding that tacked on 15 yards for an unnecessary roughness penalty, quickly taking New England to midfield.

The good vibes were short lived, as Maye turned and tried to execute a toss play but Pop Douglas couldn't handle the toss and the ball hit the ground for the second time in three possessions. This time the Chargers recovered, taking over at the New England 44. It was hard to discern what went wrong on the play, but the result was unwelcome as the Chargers would add another touchdown to their lead, making it 17-0 on a six-yard touchdown catch by Ladd McConkey.

The Chargers dominated the first half while establishing the 17-point lead, holding a 21:58 to 5:07 advantage in time of possession, while stacking 15 first downs to New England's two, both of which came via penalty.

Also among the bad news was the loss of Christian Gonzalez who suffered a concussion while trying to make a second-quarter tackle and was ruled out of the game just before halftime.