From the start, the Super Bowl went sideways for the New England Patriots and quarterback Drake Maye. The offense never would get on the tracks, though, and in the end, it was a dominant win for the Seattle Seahawks.
That loss was frustrating for the entire team. At the same time, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any value in playing the game itself. Maye knows that perfectly well, as he explained while reflecting on the Super Bowl during an interview with Kira K. Dixon at the Masters.
“It’s humbling,” Maye said. “You got to get back to work. When you’re so close and within reach, you want that feeling. Everybody says you’ll be back. It’s not that easy, so we got to get back to work. And I’m looking forward to try to prove to myself that I can get back.”
Drake Maye had a very difficult day at the Super Bowl. He would throw for 295 yards and 2 touchdowns, but turnovers became a major issue, as he threw 2 interceptions. Maye also lost a fumble that would be returned for a scoop-and-score touchdown. On top of that, Maye was sacked 6 times.
Drake Maye has Received Plenty of Criticism for the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl Loss
GettyNew England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye
It’s hard not to regard the 2025 season as anything but a success for Drake Maye and the Patriots, even if they came up short in the Super Bowl. After all, with Maye taking a major step forward and finishing second in the MVP voting, it sparked excitement for the future.
Despite that, the Super Bowl still drew criticism of Maye. The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz was among those, arguing his struggles in the Super Bowl and AFC Championship Game to score left a poor impression.
“Drake Maye would have been better off if the Patriots had gone one and done in the playoffs. I don’t know whether we’ve ever seen a quarterback’s reputation take a bigger hit after a run to the Super Bowl,” Ruiz wrote.
“New England’s offense was horribly outmatched against the gauntlet of elite defense it faced in the postseason, and Maye didn’t take advantage of the few opportunities he was given. It was a bad showing for the MVP runner-up.”
Even with the offense’s struggles in the postseason, it’s hard for Patriots fans not to be thrilled with Maye. The team flipped its regular season record from 4-13 to 14-3 on the season. Maye, meanwhile, completed 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns while rushing for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Rob Gronkowski Shared What Drake Maye Needs to Improve On
GettyNew England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye
Throughout his career, Rob Gronkowski played alongside Tom Brady and saw what an elite quarterback looked like. Now, he wants to see Drake Maye take another step in the right direction. That means protecting the ball better than he has in the past.
“When his deep ball is there, his deep ball is really there. You saw it on display throughout the whole season. What I really loved about him and his improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 was that he learned how to read a defense. He learned how to check it down in the situations when the situation is presented, not to force your ball, but check it down and take five yards or six yards per play, instead of forcing it in there,” Gronkowski said.
“But I would say to protect the ball. He had the ball on the ground a lot. He had a lot of fumbles. So you gotta protect that ball, because turnovers hurt your team big time.”
Drake Maye is going to be in his second season playing under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in 2026. That should give him some continuity to take another step forward in the offensive system and protect the ball better.
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