The New England Patriots made the playoffs and won the AFC East Division largely on the arm of the team's young quarterback, Drake Maye. Yet, in the three playoff wins, Mayes' passing has been mediocre for the most part, and the Patriots' rejuvenated defense has stepped up.
Now, Bleacher Report has given its head-to-head advantage at quarterback to Maye over Sam Darnold.
If Maye's passing is sharp against the Seattle Seahawks, it will be a huge boost to the Patriots if they are to hoist their seventh Lombardi Trophy. Though Patriot Nation can still recall that a stout defense can win it all, as they did in the 2018 team's Lombardi win, largely won by its defense in a close, 13-3 tilt.
Yet, Maye's return to his midseason form, which propelled him to the best completion percentage in the NFL at 72 percent, the best quarterback rating, and the best passer rating, is what the team and Patriot Nation will be looking for against Seattle.
The Seahawks' defense ranks first in points allowed per game (17.2) and first in total yards allowed (4860). It's no easy chore for Maye and the offense.
Drake Maye's dual-threat ability gives him the nod over Sam Darnold
Drake Maye has a clear advantage over Darnold in his ability to run the ball. Darnold only managed 95 yards rushing in the regular season. He's a pocket passer. Meanwhile, Maye rushed for 450 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Bleacher Report has given the match-up advantage at quarterback to Drake Maye over Sam Darnold in the Super Bowl. It's a huge responsibility for the young quarterback. His rushing ability is cited as a clear advantage.
"Darnold comes into this game with a hotter hand, but don't forget Drake Maye is an MVP finalist, who led the league in passer rating, QBR and completion rate this season. In the playoffs, Maye faced three top-seven pass defenses...Maye is a dynamic playmaker with both his arm and legs.
Darnold has played better against mediocre and below-average pass defenses, though Maye showed he can be efficient against a stingy unit when he threw for three touchdowns against the Houston Texans in the divisional round. Also, the Patriots quarterback will be harder to defend off-script."
The question for the Patriots in the Super Bowl is not whether Maye has an advantage when he's on the move; it's whether the coaching staff's offensive game plan is astute enough to use it to the fullest, which it hasn't been all season.
Drake Maye's running can propel the Patriots to a win
To date, the Patriots' offensive coaching staff has not effectively utilized Drake Maye's running ability. Most of his rushing yardage has come on broken plays, scrambling because of a porous offensive line that gives up sacks by the bushel. It's an omission that, if continued, could cost them the Lombardi Trophy.
The offensive game plan seems loath to implement programmed runs by Maye at any time. Ironically, in the playoff win against the Texans, what looked like a quarterback draw gained nine yards. (Maye unfortunately fumbled at the end of the run.) It turned out to be a broken play, but the efficacy of using Maye as a runner on occasion was clear as day on that play. It works.
Maye's running was also a key to the win against Denver as he took off 10 times for 65 yards, including a brilliant run up the middle for a touchdown. Yet again, these are not programmed runs, but the result of breakdowns in protection on most occasions.
It's time for the Patriots coaches, especially Mike Vrabel, to lock onto programmed quarterback runs such as quarterback draws, naked reverses, and RPO runs for Maye against Seattle. They need to go away from their vanilla offensive concepts, which telegraph plays to any observer as though they were broadcast in advance on any NFL stadium's Jumbotron.
This is it. It's the last game of the season for all the marbles. It's time to unleash Maye's running ability in programmed running plays in the Super Bowl. It was Maye who not only scored the Patriots' only touchdown on a run, but also iced the game with a first-down run in Denver.
The Patriots can win the Super Bowl and their seventh Lombardi Trophy if they do what Bleacher Report emphasized and utilize Drake Maye's running ability by programming a good number of runs for him into the game plan. If they don't and lose, they can largely attribute it to their stubborn refusal to recognize what works and use it.
The opportunity is there: use it and win.