Marte Mapu hasn’t still hasn’t delivered on his substantial preseason hype, but Sunday saw the Patriots safety deliver the best play of his rookie campaign.
Mapu intercepted Patrick Mahomes during the first half of New England’s eventual home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. It was the first career interception for the Sacramento State product, whom the Patriots selected in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Earlier this week, New England’s official YouTube channel posted a pair of mic’d-up highlight videos from the Week 15 contest. The first features just reactions to Mapu’s interception, while the second is a longer clip that includes highlights from the full game, including Mapu’s big play.
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Mapu played 15 snaps against the Chiefs, his most in a single game since Week 8. His season high came in Week 4 when he saw 35 defensive snaps in the Patriots’ road loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
A few weeks ago, Bill Belichick said Mapu’s lack of playing time was due to slotting behind two high-level safeties in Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers. However, the reality is the undeniably talented Mapu struggled mightily during the middle portion of the season.
He’ll look to build on Sunday’s strong performance when the Patriots visit the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve.
Featured image via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
