New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye put in the worst game, potentially of his NFL career, in the Super Bowl. The Pats lost 29-13, and once the Seattle Seahawks went up by more than one score, it felt like the game was out of reach.
The week leading up to the game, Maye had been dealing with an illness and a nagging shoulder injury. Those two things absolutely could’ve played a role in his struggles, but the second-year QB insisted he was perfectly healthy.
Drake Maye insists shoulder wasn’t bothering him
Drake Maye had a really rough day, but according to him, it wasn’t health-related. He was fully healthy. “I shot it up, so not much feeling. It was good to go, and it felt all right,” the quarterback said via ESPN after the game. He finished 27 of 43 for 295 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Playing through injury is not uncommon in the NFL, but the second-year QB didn’t say he was doing that. “Think it would be hard to say that. I was feeling good enough to be out there,” he said. “I wouldn’t put the team in harm’s way to not be myself. Just didn’t make plays tonight.”
As for the loss, Maye was emotional. It is arguably the biggest loss he has ever suffered, and he felt the weight of that after the game. “This hurts. It definitely hurts. They played better than us tonight,” he said. “They deserved to win that game. For the whole team and myself, what a journey it’s been for us. I love this team and those guys in the locker room. We left it all on the field and just came up short. We didn’t play our best, and that’s what happens. It’s going to sting for a while, but that’s what you sign up for.”
The protection Maye had, or didn’t have, was partly responsible for his bad day, shoulder or not. “Certainly didn’t do a good enough job. It hurts,” starting center Garrett Bradbury said of the overall protection. “Drake is the face of this franchise. He’s the leader of this team. I think this whole locker room knows that.”
Rookie left tackle Will Campbell had a historically bad day, allowing 14 quick pressures. Maye was under duress all night long.
Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye reflect on loss
Despite the loss, Drake Maye and the Patriots are just in year two. They exceeded expectations, and part of the reason for that was the hire of Mike Vrabel. Maye’s growth in year two played a big role, but so did Vrabel.
“I’m proud of everything that they did. I’m disappointed, just like they are,” Vrabel said. “I reminded them that we’re 307 days into what hopefully is a long, successful relationship and program. And it’s OK to be disappointed. We have to be disappointed and upset together.”
Vrabel is in his first season with the team, though he won Super Bowls with them as a player. “And like I always do, I tell them I’m appreciative of them. I’m thankful. I’m grateful that I get to coach them. And we don’t want to be part of our identity as not being a front-runner. So again, just like every year, somebody’s going to lose this game. And we have to remember what it feels like and make sure that it’s not repeated.”
Maye believes Vrabel was a major part of the turnaround from four wins to the Super Bowl. “He was a heartbeat, no doubt about that. He was a big reason why we’re here. He’s always the same, and I look forward to my relationship with him for a long time,” Maye said. “He’s a great person and a helluva football coach.”
If that’s the case, then Maye and the Patriots will be back.
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