Super Bowl 60: Seahawks Defense Zoning In on Drake Maye’s Scrambling Threat
SAN JOSE - As Super Bowl 60 draws near, the Seahawks defense isn’t just preparing for another quarterback - they’re getting ready for a quarterback who thrives in chaos. Drake Maye, the 23-year-old leading the Patriots offense, has made a name for himself this postseason not just with his arm, but with his legs - and Seattle’s defense is well aware.
At Monday’s Opening Night, the message from Seahawks defenders was consistent: Maye’s mobility is a problem they respect - but not one they fear.
“It puts stress on us, trying to keep him in the pocket,” said veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. “But it’s a gift and a curse.
You extend the play, that gives us more time to get home. You might get the throw off… or you might get hit.
We’ll see on Sunday.”
That dual-threat ability has been one of the few constants for New England’s offense during a playoff run that’s leaned more on grit than fireworks. In the AFC Championship Game against Denver, Maye carried the ball 10 times for 65 yards and a touchdown. A week earlier, he ran for 66 yards on 10 carries against the Chargers, including a back-breaking 37-yard scramble just before halftime that set up a key field goal.
“His mobility is his biggest challenge, I would say,” said Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams. “He can make the throws, no doubt.
But it’s hard to rush disciplined and not rush scared. You don’t want to change who you are as a D-line, but you’ve got to stay aware.
He’s going to make plays - we just have to stay calm and keep playing.”
That discipline will be tested against a Patriots offense that’s shown a willingness to let Maye improvise when the pocket collapses. And with Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald’s scheme often deploying two deep safeties and four-man fronts - with frequent stunts and twists up front - there could be space for Maye to exploit if Seattle’s line loses gap integrity.
“Every quarterback has a different escape plan,” Williams added. “Some like to roll out wide, some step up through the A or B gaps.
Drake’s more vertical - he likes to climb the pocket. That’s something we’ve got to shut down.”
Seattle’s regular-season numbers suggest they’re up to the task. They allowed just 6.7 yards per quarterback scramble, ranking 11th in the league, and gave up first downs on only 25.6% of those plays - second-best in the NFL.
But the postseason has told a slightly different story. Against Brock Purdy and Matthew Stafford, the Seahawks have surrendered 57 yards on seven scrambles, with four of those resulting in first downs.
That’s 8.1 yards per attempt - a notable jump.
Only the Chargers, who run a similar two-high safety scheme under Jesse Minter, gave up more scramble yards than Seattle (345) across the regular season and playoffs combined.
Still, Macdonald isn’t backing off his praise for Maye.
“He’s a phenomenal player,” the head coach said. “His decision-making, especially when it comes to protecting the football, has been impressive.
He’s got the arm talent to put the ball where only his guy can get it. And when he does hold onto the ball to extend plays, it’s not easy - but he trusts his athleticism, and that’s paid off.”
That trust has come with some risk. Maye’s off-script throws - the kind that turn broken plays into big gains - haven’t been as frequent in the playoffs.
Part of that could be due to ball security. In the first two rounds, pass rushers knocked the ball out of his hands five times on extended plays.
He had another fumble on a broken-play run against Houston.
So if Maye tries to buy time and throw on the move against Seattle, it’s a bit of a coin flip. The Seahawks have had their ups and downs defending those types of plays.
They allowed the 10th-most broken-play passing yards in the regular season (258) and were tied for the most touchdowns allowed on those plays (five). But they also ranked sixth in EPA per play against scramble throws, and their “bust percentage” - plays where the offense lost at least one expected point - was the third-best in the league at 34.3%.
In the playoffs, quarterbacks trying to make something out of nothing against Seattle have posted a 47.7 passer rating on scramble throws, with one interception and another that could’ve been picked.
And while Maye was limited last week in practice with a shoulder issue, he’s saying he’ll be “just fine” - and the Seahawks are preparing as if he will be.
“I think he's going to be able to do everything that we've seen on tape,” said cornerback Devon Witherspoon. “I don’t put nothing past nobody. He’s going to do what he has to do - and we’ve got to go out there and handle business.”
Bottom line: the Seahawks respect the challenge Maye presents. But they’re not changing their identity.
They’re planning to be aggressive, disciplined, and ready for whatever off-script magic Maye might try to conjure. Because in a game this big, one scramble - one busted play - can change everything.