Santa Clara (United States) (AFP) – Patriots prodigy Drake Maye was left longing for a do-over after his first Super Bowl appearance ended in misery on Sunday. The 23-year-old came into the NFL championship clash with a chance to become the youngest ever quarterback to win the NFL’s top prize. But Maye was sacked six times and gave up two interceptions and a fumble as New England slumped to a one-sided 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
“I’d like to have the game back and go back to the beginning and redo it,” admitted Maye. Maye did manage two passing touchdowns, and both out-passed and out-rushed his victorious counterpart Sam Darnold by yardage. However, Maye faltered badly at key moments during Super Bowl LX. On a crucial play in the fourth quarter, he was strip-sacked, allowing Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu to race into the end zone for a game-sealing touchdown. Maye had failed to get the Patriots offense moving throughout, as New England was forced to punt away eight of its first nine possessions.
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It was a bitter pill to swallow for a young man who had spoken to AFP before the game about wanting to be an “all-time great” and to emulate his illustrious Patriots predecessor Tom Brady. “There were so many plays that could decide and change the game,” Maye reflected after the stinging defeat. “I have the fumble and they returned it for a touchdown. There were so many times in the first half when I felt like I could have made a better throw or made a better decision and just… it comes down to who makes the better plays and who doesn’t. And they made the better plays tonight.”
– ‘Behind the chains’ –
North Carolina-born Maye was the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, quickly becoming the Patriots’ starting quarterback. Despite its disappointing end, this season was undoubtedly Maye’s breakout campaign. He threw for 31 touchdowns in the regular season, managing the league-best completion percentage (72 percent) and yards per pass attempt (8.9), and rushed for four more. Maye managed six more TDs in the playoffs, including three in a dominant win over the Houston Texans, and another two on Sunday. He was the second-youngest starting quarterback to reach a Super Bowl, after Dan Marino with the Miami Dolphins in 1985.
But his sophomore season ultimately fell just short of being truly historic, as a slow start doomed Maye’s bid to lift the Lombardi Trophy. “We were moving it solid the first couple of drives and just had a couple negative plays that put us behind the chains,” he said. “And then from there we just couldn’t stay ahead of the chains.” He added, “They had brought some pressure where they got us a few times. Just got to be better with the football and make better decisions. I’ve got to make better throws when the game is like that. I’ve got to make some throws to help us move the football.”
© 2024 AFP
