Drake Maye’s Super Bowl Struggles Shift the AFC East Narrative Heading Into 2026
For the New England Patriots, just getting to Super Bowl LX was a milestone. After years of searching for their next franchise quarterback post-Tom Brady, they finally found themselves back on the sport’s biggest stage - something the Buffalo Bills have been chasing for over three decades.
But the moment was short-lived. What unfolded in Santa Clara wasn’t a coronation - it was a reality check.
Drake Maye, the 23-year-old quarterback who had Patriots fans dreaming big, was overwhelmed from the jump. The Seattle Seahawks’ defense didn’t just show up - they dominated.
Maye was hit 11 times, sacked six, and looked like a rookie quarterback thrown into the deep end without a life jacket. The Patriots' offensive line, especially rookie left tackle Will Campbell, couldn’t hold the line.
And Maye, for all his promise, didn’t have the answers.
The Seahawks dictated the tone early and never let up. For New England, it wasn’t just a loss - it was a dismantling. And while the scoreboard told one story, the bigger narrative was unfolding beyond the numbers: the Patriots may have gotten to the Super Bowl, but their future isn’t as certain as it seemed just 24 hours earlier.
AFC East: A New Perspective
Heading into the game, the Patriots looked like the team to beat in the AFC East. They had reclaimed the division crown for the first time since the Brady era.
The Bills were retooling under a new head coach. The Dolphins and Jets?
Still stuck in neutral. But after 60 minutes of football on Super Bowl Sunday, it was Buffalo - not New England - that walked away with a clearer sense of direction.
Sure, Patriots fans can still point to the scoreboard from the AFC Championship Game and the fact that they made it to the Super Bowl. That matters.
But what they can’t ignore is how fragile that success looked under the brightest lights. Maye didn’t just struggle in the Super Bowl - his entire postseason run was turbulent.
A Rough Ride Through the Playoffs
Maye’s postseason included matchups against three of the NFL’s toughest defenses: the Texans, Broncos, and Seahawks. In each game, he looked rattled.
Against Houston and Denver, the Patriots managed to survive thanks to their own defense capitalizing on weaker opposing offenses. But that formula fell apart against Seattle, where Sam Darnold - yes, that Sam Darnold - played clean, mistake-free football all postseason long.
Maye, by contrast, couldn’t keep the ball out of harm’s way.
Across the three playoff games, Maye threw six interceptions, fumbled seven times, and was sacked a staggering 21 times. Those are numbers that raise red flags, not just about protection, but about poise, decision-making, and readiness.
And while some of that blame falls on the offensive line - especially a young left tackle still learning the ropes - Maye didn’t do much to elevate the play around him. That’s what separates the good quarterbacks from the great ones. That’s where Josh Allen enters the picture.
The Allen Advantage
Buffalo’s quarterback just wrapped up his first MVP season - and he did it without a true No. 1 wide receiver. Then in 2025, he nearly matched those numbers again despite a regressed receiving corps.
That kind of production, under those circumstances, is the stuff of elite quarterbacks. And it’s why Patriots fans were nervous about a potential playoff rematch with Buffalo.
New England got the better of the Bills in the AFC Championship, but that win now looks more like a narrow escape than a passing of the torch. The Patriots survived, but they didn’t thrive.
And when the lights got brightest, they shrank. That contrast with Allen - who’s proven he can carry an offense - is stark.
Looking Ahead
The Patriots still have bragging rights. They made it to the Super Bowl.
That alone gives them something to hang over Buffalo’s head for the next seven months. But any talk of a new Patriots dynasty - or a long-term stranglehold on the AFC East - needs to be put on pause.
There’s talent in New England. There’s potential.
But there are also questions - big ones - about whether Maye is ready to be that guy when it matters most. The kind of quarterback who can overcome a collapsing pocket, who can steady a team when the pressure’s on, who can win not just with talent, but with toughness and timing.
For now, the AFC East remains a battleground. And after Super Bowl LX, it’s clear that Buffalo’s window is still wide open - maybe even wider than New England’s.