With the weight of the football world resting on the shoulders of the New England Patriots, the most storied team in the history of the league was unable to get the job done on Sunday night, falling by a score of 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
Despite an inspired performance from their defense, the Patriots offense simply did not show up until the fourth quarter. There are plenty of factors as to how and why the New England offensive unit faltered in this game, but arguably the biggest reason was phenom quarterback Drake Maye.
Yes, the offensive line was horrible, nearly non-competitive for the majority of the game; but Maye did absolutely nothing to help himself out. Of the six times he was sacked, take a second or third look at the plays; there were escape routes and targets downfield to hit with quicker reads.
This isn’t necessarily a knock on Maye’s clutch gene or his ability to get back to the Super Bowl, but what did show on Sunday night was his, and the offense as a whole’s, inexperience.
Maye Getting Called Out After SB Loss
It was ugly for the Patriots offense from the get-go. They finished the first half with just 51 total yards, an astonishingly low mark.
Everything that makes Maye an effective quarterback — his legs, his quick reads, the deep ball, his elusiveness in the pocket — were all missing in the Super Bowl. Anytime momentum seemed to be coming back for the Pats, it was a Maye interception or fumble; not that they were entirely his fault, but his pocket presence was just nowhere to be found.
Patriots reporter Megan Ottolini wrote this in her postgame column:
“The offensive line will be an easy punching bag for fans wondering what went wrong in the big game,” Ottolini wrote. “But Maye did little to help himself – let alone the rest of the team.”
And that will be the storyline for the entirety of the offseason. Maye clearly has a ways to go before he’s ready to be back in the spotlight in the biggest moment, and he really won’t be able to defend that until he’s back on the field.
Maye’s Phenomenal Sophomore Season
Don’t let this stinker take away from the amazing run that Maye and this team went on in the 2025 season. No one thought that a team that had won eight combined games in the last two seasons could sport a winning record, much less a Super Bowl appearance.
So here’s a few silver linings for Patriots fans to ponder for the next few months: Maye and this core of Patriots players now have more Super Bowl experience than two of their biggest foes going forward, Josh Allen and the Bills and Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
Once Maye somewhat settled in –though it was far too late and far too short — he showed you that quarterback that made those mind-boggling plays all season. He did finish the game with 295 yards through the air and 37 on the ground. Whether he was hurt or not, there was enough of a sample size to show that he’s learned his lesson and will be ready to go if New England can get back to the big show.
And finally, this young core of New England is ready to go for the future. Maye and Mike Vrabel instilled an entirely new culture into the program, and if they can start stacking seasons, the sky is the limit for this iteration of the Patriots.
Patriots, Drake Maye Under Fire for Poor Super Bowl Performance