There's no sugarcoating that the New England Patriots put up an offensive stinker in Super Bowl LX. Star quarterback Drake Maye and Co. couldn't move the ball whatsoever until the contest was effectively over.
New England struggled mightily against a fast and furious Seattle Seahawks defense. While Maye struggled, a large slice of the blame pie goes to his offensive line. The Patriots got zero push up front on both sides of the ball, though that proved especially true when it came to keeping their signal-caller clean.
Maye getting pummeled was a recurring theme that reared its ugly head throughout the Patriots' run to the Big Game, which ultimately fell short. Things were no different against the Seahawks; he took six sacks, highlighting New England's glaring need for offensive line reinforcements this offseason.
Patriots desperately need to get Drake Maye OL help this offseason
The Seahawks were relentlessly getting after Maye early and often. He was pressured on over half of his dropbacks, per Next Gen Stats. How can the Patriots expect their face of the franchise to stay healthy, let alone continue playing at an MVP level under those circumstances?
Seattle's fierce pass rush was met with no resistance at the line of scrimmage. It was painfully obvious who had the advantages in the trenches, and it wasn't Maye and the Patriots. More specifically, New England's rookie left tackle Will Campbell was picked on to an absurd degree.
It's worth mentioning that Campbell hasn't been the same since suffering a torn MCL in Week 12. The 22-year-old tried to power through a tough injury, albeit to the Patriots' detriment. Nevertheless, his efforts (or lack thereof) were a reminder that he's far from a finished product.
While the Patriots overhauled their blocking unit last offseason, they ostensibly haven't solved the problem once and for all. Campbell and his bookend edge protector, Morgan Moses, were valuable additions, though veteran center Garrett Bradbury and 2025 third-round pick Jared Wilson were volatile. Their starting five needs upgrades on the interior.
Patriots fans are probably tired of seeing Maye get dropped behind the line of scrimmage. He took at least five sacks in each of New England's four playoff games, setting an NFL single-postseason record with 21 total (h/t Fantasy Life's Ian Hartitz).