New England Patriots fans are undoubtedly hoping Super Bowl 61 arrives quickly, due in part to their brutal loss in the big game on Sunday. In Super Bowl 60, the Patriots were blown out by the Seattle Seahawks, 29-13.
The Patriots' defense showed up, but the offense didn't, and that starts with quarterback Drake Maye. The second-year signal caller was pressured a ton by the Seahawks defense and was sacked six times for a loss of 43 yards.
His offensive line didn't provide much help in preventing the pressure, which is a testament to how relentless Seattle's pass rush was.
But if there is one takeaway, it's that Maye needs to handle the pressure and avoid sacks. As JP Finley of NBC4 Sports points out, via Next Gen Stats, both Maye and Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold averaged the same time to throw (2.83 seconds). Yet Darnold was sacked only once, while Maye was sacked six times.
Pretty wild from @NextGenStats - Sam Darnold and Drake Maye averaged the same amount of time to throw (2.83 seconds), despite Maye being sacked six times to Darnold’s one
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) February 9, 2026
Drake Maye had significantly worse Super Bowl 60 showing than Sam Darnold, despite both averaging the same time to throw
If one thing is clear, it's that Darnold's veteran experience benefited him, as he avoided sacks. As for Maye, he looked frozen in the spotlight once he saw defenders in his face.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Darnold was pressured 18 times but was sacked only once. Perhaps more importantly, Darnold thrived under pressure, as he completed 7-of-16 pass attempts for 71 yards and a touchdown. As for Maye, he was pressured 23 times and completed 6 of 13 passes for 75 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, while being sacked 6 times.
To win the Lombardi Trophy, the quarterback doesn't necessarily have to put up an insane amount of yardage or points. They need to be able to limit their mistakes, especially when facing pressure. For Maye, he wasn't able to do that.
Unfortunately for him, it has been a story of the entire playoffs. He was pressured 33 times through the first three rounds of the playoffs, where he completed 8-of-14 passes for 149 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions, but was sacked 15 times. So Maye was sacked on nearly half of the plays he was pressured. That's not ideal.
Luckily for Maye, he is only two years into his NFL career, and there is plenty of room for him to grow. But this playoff run and Super Bowl 60 should be a learning experience for Maye and what not to do if he ever wants to win the Lombardi Trophy.