Insider Says If Drake Maye ‘Goes Down, So Will The Patriots’ In Super Bowl LX
'The Patriots simply cannot survive a poor Maye game versus a stacked Seahawks defense'
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said on Thursday that his offensive line’s performance against the Seattle Seahawks will be a “huge factor” in deciding the result of Super Bowl LX.
Patriots insider Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald agreed in his Friday morning column, two days before the big game.
Callahan believes both New England’s and Seattle’s offensive lines will be critical on Sunday though.
“Between the Patriots’ rampant blitzing and a suffocating Seahawks defense, Drake Maye and Sam Darnold are guaranteed to find themselves under duress Sunday,” he wrote. “The Patriots simply cannot survive a poor Maye game versus a stacked Seahawks defense ranked No. 1 versus the run and pass by DVOA. Conversely, Darnold turnovers will light the most direct path to a Patriots upset.”
Both Drake Maye and Sam Darnold enter Super Bowl LX nursing injuries, with the MVP runner-up dealing with a shoulder ailment and the Seahawks’ Pro Bowler battling an oblique issue.
Barring something unforeseen, there’s no way Maye nor Darnold will miss Sunday’s season finale though.
Callahan pointed to Seattle third-year guard Anthony Bradford and New England rookie guard Jared Wilson as two players who will be under a lot of pressure for the contest.
“Look for the Patriots to target right guard Anthony Bradford, the weak link in the Seahawks’ pass protection, with stunts and blitzes,” he said. “Mirroring Bradford, Pats left guard Jared Wilson is the player Seattle will likely target with stunts; specifically by sending defensive tackles Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II (123 pressures combined, per Pro Football Focus) across different interior gaps.”
After narrowly missing out on the regular season MVP award on Thursday night, Maye will look to become the youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl.
If Wilson and company can keep their quarterback on his feet Sunday night, that would go a long way toward a Patriots victory.
“Bottom line: if Maye goes down, so will the Patriots. But if he evades rushers to scramble or extend plays, they’ve got a better shot than people think,” Callahan wrote.
