Drake Maye’s rise hits speed bump as Patriots QB struggles in Super Bowl LX loss

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Drake Maye’s storybook sophomore season did not feature a storybook ending.

Instead of capping off his breakout year with a Lombardi Trophy in hand, Maye walked off the field in noticeable agony as Seattle Seahawks-themed confetti rained down around him following a 29-13 thumping at Levi’s Stadium in Super Bowl LX.

Minutes after the clock hit zero, a glassy-eyed Maye stepped to the postgame podium to explain what went wrong with an offense that was shut out for the first three quarters — something that hadn’t happened in a Super Bowl since the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII (1973 season).

“It’s going to hurt and sting for a while,” Maye said, “but that’s what you sign up for.”

Maye completed 27 of 43 pass attempts in Super Bowl LX for 295 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. However, the bulk of that production came in garbage time as New England desperately tried to claw back into the contest. Excluding the final frame, Maye was 8 of 18 (44.4%) for 60 yards.

“Yeah, I think there are plays that I’ll think about for the next probably seven months until we’re back in September playing the first one,” he said, reliving the worst defeat of his young career moments after it happened.

When Maye and the Patriots finally found a spark in the fourth quarter — scoring their first touchdown on a 35-yard pass to Mack Hollins — they couldn’t sustain the momentum. After New England’s defense forced a Seahawks punt, Maye and the offense had an opportunity to cut the deficit to within a touchdown with just over 10 minutes to play.

Instead, Maye threw interceptions on the next two possessions, including a pick-six.

“Those plays that can change the game matter,” Maye said. “If you make them, you’re celebrating. If not, you’re sitting here, you know, crying at a podium. That’s part of it. I know the postseason is what you play for, and I know we’ll be back — we’ll be back in the postseason.”

The postseason proved to be a different animal for Maye and the Patriots. Throughout the regular season, the young quarterback was superb, putting himself in the MVP conversation after leading the league in completion percentage, passer rating and yards per attempt. In the playoffs, those numbers dipped considerably, most notably with his completion rate falling to 58.3%.

Part of that decline could be attributed to Maye not being 100% healthy, as he had been nursing a right shoulder injury entering the Super Bowl. Maye told reporters that “we shot it up” before the game to make it more manageable, but added that he doesn’t believe the injury affected his performance.

“I think it would be hard to say that,” he said when asked if his shoulder limited him. “It feels good enough to be out there. … Just didn’t make plays tonight.”

Maye was clearly crushed by the loss, especially given his role in the defeat with subpar play on the game’s biggest stage. Still, he was quick to frame the moment as fuel to get New England back to the postseason — and next time, finish the job.

“The losses, they hurt,” he said. “I think you try to learn when you win and remember this feeling when you lose. I know there’s a lot of things that you wish you had back, but it will only make you stronger in the end.”