Super Bowl 60 did not go the way that the New England Patriots and their fans had expected. On Sunday, the Patriots' defense showed up and held up their end of the bargain. Unfortunately for them, the offense couldn't do anything against the Seattle Seahawks' ruthless defense on Sunday, resulting in them losing 29-13. Somehow, the score didn't tell the story of how one-sided the game was, especially in the second half.
Quarterback Drake Maye had a rough game in his Super Bowl debut, throwing two interceptions, getting sacked six times for a loss of 43 yards, and fumbling the ball resulting in a scoop-and-score in the fourth quarter. It was a game that Maye would like to forget.
Maye spoke with reporters after the game and discussed playing for head coach Mike Vrabel, who led the team to the big game in his first year on the job. Maye spoke incredibly highly of Vrabel, saying that he "was the heartbeat" of the team, and is looking forward to playing alongside him "for a long time."
"He was the heartbeat. ... I look forward to my relationship with him for a long time. He's a great person and a hell of a football coach."
— ESPN (@espn) February 9, 2026
Drake Maye on Mike Vrabel this season pic.twitter.com/yWKr7t4U10
Drake Maye speaks highly of Mike Vrabel after Patriots' Super Bowl 60 loss
It was a rough game for the Patriots and Maye, but they are looking forward to the future. That is what Vrabel said during his postgame scrum as well, that it's only the first year of the franchise's new era.
The Patriots thought they had the answer at head coach to succeed Bill Belichick in Jerod Mayo, but after one disastrous season, team owner Robert Kraft bailed. He then pivoted to bringing in Vrabel, the former franchise linebacker and proven head coach. Vrabel succeeded as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, nearly helping them bring a Super Bowl title in his second year on the job in 2019. The hope was that Vrabel could bring immediate success to New England.
Vrabel did just that, as he coached the Pats to 14 wins this season and put them in serious contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Even though their path to the Super Bowl was ridiculed, they won those games presented to them. The defense dominated the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos to clinch the AFC Championship.
The Patriots faced a tough challenge in the Seahawks, who had an explosive offense and a stifling defense. While the Patriots' defense did its part, the offense's struggles ultimately burned them.
The loss will sting for quite some time, but they can use this as motivation throughout the offseason. Maye just completed his second season, and he hasn't even gotten close to reaching his ceiling, so the sky truly is the limit.
Maye is looking forward to helping bring the Patriots their seventh Super Bowl title, and he's excited that Vrabel will be his coach along the way.