As we head into Super Bowl week, much of the spotlight has naturally been on the Patriots' defense and how it plans to contain Seattle’s explosive offense, particularly the connection between quarterback Sam Darnold and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. And yes, that’s a matchup worth dissecting. But let’s flip the script for a moment-because the other side of the ball might just hold the key to this game.
Seattle’s defense has long carried the reputation of being among the league’s elite. Fast, physical, and fundamentally sound.
But this Super Bowl presents a different kind of test-one they haven’t seen much of this season. Enter Drake Maye.
Maye isn’t your typical drop-back passer. He’s mobile, he’s creative, and he’s not afraid to improvise when the play breaks down.
That’s the exact skill set that helped New England punch its ticket to the Super Bowl in the AFC Championship win over Denver. His ability to extend plays outside the pocket and turn broken plays into big gains has been a game-changer for the Patriots all postseason.
And that’s where things get interesting.
Seattle’s defense, as good as it’s been, hasn’t faced many quarterbacks like Maye this year. In fact, you can count them on one hand.
They saw Kyler Murray twice, but he was battling injuries for most of the season and wasn’t the same dual-threat weapon we’ve seen in the past. They also faced Jayden Daniels, who was similarly limited by injuries, and rookie Cam Ward, who actually gave them some trouble despite being on a struggling Titans team.
Outside of those three, the rest of Seattle’s opponents were primarily pocket passers-guys like Brock Purdy and Matthew Stafford-who don’t bring the same kind of athleticism or improvisational ability that Maye does. That lack of exposure to mobile quarterbacks could be a real factor on Super Bowl Sunday.
Seattle’s defense has shown all year that it can bring pressure and disrupt timing. But Maye isn’t just another quarterback who collapses under heat.
He thrives in chaos. When the pocket breaks down, he doesn’t panic-he creates.
And that’s the kind of threat you can’t always scheme for. You can prepare for it, sure.
But stopping it? That’s another story.
One of the biggest questions heading into this game is how Seattle adjusts to a quarterback who doesn’t play by the usual rules. Maye’s ability to take off and run, or keep plays alive with his legs, adds a layer of unpredictability that could tilt the field in New England’s favor-especially if the Patriots’ offensive line struggles to hold up against Seattle’s front.
It also raises the question of how Josh McDaniels will approach the game plan. Will he lean into Maye’s mobility and dial up more designed runs? Or will he trust his young quarterback to read the defense and make adjustments on the fly, like he did in that game-clinching run against Denver?
Seattle’s defense is talented, no doubt. But this is a different kind of challenge.
One they haven’t seen much of. And with nearly two weeks to prepare, they’ll need every bit of that time to get ready for a quarterback who can beat you in ways that don’t always show up on the whiteboard.
Come Super Bowl Sunday, we’ll find out if Seattle’s defense can contain the chaos-or if Drake Maye turns it into his playground.