Drake Maye is one game from matching Peyton Manning’s unique record

The New England Patriots are in the Super Bowl, their first since the 2018 season. Under Mike Vrabel and MVP-level quarterback Drake Maye, the team has exceeded even the wildest expectations of the most optimistic observers. And now, the precocious 23-year-old Maye has an opportunity to equal a feat only achieved by Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning.

If the Patriots win, Maye will have done what Manning has and beaten the top three-ranked NFL defenses in the playoffs.

Equaling any record of Manning is rarefied quarterback air. A two-time Super Bowl champion with two different teams, he is one of the NFL's all-time best. Maye's career is still in its infancy, yet if he can pull off the win in a Super Bowl at age 23 and tie an exclusive Manning record in the process, he'll have already achieved something special.

While Maye's completion percentage sits at 55%, well below his 72% regular season rate, Maye has still been a significant factor in each playoff win. The multifaceted Maye, while emerging as his team's leader, has also made big plays when they mattered most, both with his arm and his legs.

Drake Maye and Peyton Manning sharing a record would be special

Winning a Super Bowl in your second season is a massive achievement anytime.

It was done in 2001 by Tom Brady and his Patriots, and Maye will be doing his utmost to equal that scenario and Manning's record when he locks horns with the first in the NFL Seahawks' defense, on February 8.

Clearly, no one on the Patriots or in Patriot Nation really cares about equalling any individual records. The objective is seven, as in winning the Patriots' seventh Lombardi trophy. Anything else is just gravy on the potato.

Equalling Peyton Manning's record is important for Drake Maye in the Super Bowl

The only reason equalling Manning's record is important is that it will signify that another Lombardi will be carted off to Foxborough, further filling the team's burgeoning trophy cabinet. So, in that respect, it does matter.

The key will be Maye continuing to make the big plays he's been making, as some predicted, as the Patriots march toward the Super Bowl. And he'll have a lot of help. His offense, while sputtering a bit late due to the opposition's increased defensive proficiency, has still managed to achieve the central necessity of any game: outscoring the opposition by any means possible.

Maye gets the job done any way he can, either by passing as he did for three touchdowns against the Texans, or running as he did against Denver. In a tough defensive battle, Maye saw a seam and ran into the zone for a six-yard touchdown, the Patriots' sole touchdown of the game. He also took a ball around the end for a first down to seal the deal against the Broncos.

Hopefully, Maye's running ability will be fully on display in a programmed manner against Seattle. They certainly won't expect it. The Patriots' vanilla offense has used only a few of those plays all season long. But if they do against the Seahawks, expect Maye to capitalize on them and, along with his pinpoint passing, to win the game.

Then, with the Lombardi in tow, he can celebrate equalling the great Peyton Manning's record, as well.