How Drake Maye, Patriots Can Overcome Super Bowl Demons in Week 1

FOXBORO — Drake Maye didn't play well against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.

I mean, the New England Patriots in totality didn't play well either. But the play from their quarterback took a drastic dip against a hostile defensive unit. That's why the score, though closer at the end, was lopsided all night.

The Patriots have a shot to rectify those errors from February when they head to Seattle this week for Week 1. The eyes of the NFL will once again be on Maye and the Patriots, as the once-surprising team from a year ago doesn't have the same element of surprise anymore.

Now, the Patriots are expected to compete — and pull out a win Wednesday night.

Maye finished the Super Bowl going 27-for-43 with 295 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns. But his play wasn't that good. He took six sacks, turned the ball over too much and was running for his life all night. It wasn't a night to remember for the Patriots in a game that's turned into a memorable one over the years.

It's going to be a loud environment at Lumen Field, like it is every time football is being played there. The national spotlight, along with the dropping of the Super Bowl banner, certainly won't help your eardrums. And yet, the 24-year-old Maye is embracing that part of his first trip to Seattle as a pro.

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) runs against Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe (53) during the second quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's Going To Be Noisy In Seattle:

"You hear about it being a football fan growing up, playing in their stadium, and the crowd that they got, and when they got a great team, the crowd's even better. And they got a great team," he said this week. "They are coming off a Super Bowl, so they are going to be hyped and excited, and it's going to be a challenge for us. We got to embrace it.

"We have played in some loud environments, we did last year and did well, so we got to continue that and do the little things right and be good in communication and make sure we keep on playing with each other and playing for us. It's about us."

It wasn't all that close in the Super Bowl, but there were reasons to point to. The offensive line, with a pair of rookies on the left side, was banged up. So was Maye, who hurt his throwing shoulder two weeks prior against Denver. The wide receivers — solid all season — weren't up to snuff in the biggest game of the year.

Those excuses are out the window. Maye's fully healthy. The receiver room now has A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs catching balls. The Patriots boosted the offensive line, both on the starting unit and in the reserves. They'll need to get the ball in the hands of those playmakers, keep Maye upright and control the clock.

They spent too much time trailing and/or reeling from another long Seahawks chunk play. That can't happen again. Keep the running game churning, plus letting Maye get some easy throws off will help him settle into his third pro yea

So while Maye might not say the team is better equipped to face these Seahawks, this group does have the chops to do so.

Can Maye Bounce Back Against Fierce D?

"We got some new faces, and we experienced it, and we got to learn from it," Maye said. "I think you would like to think you are, but it's really when you are out there, and you got to react, and you got to have some urgency, and we got to get ready to play at their place. It's going to be a tough environment."

Does it mean anything more to the Patriots to open up their season against the team that ended theirs a year ago? The quarterback — who was voted a team captain for the second-straight season — might not outwardly say it.

But it's clear that those demons from seven months ago are waiting to be evaporated.

"There's definitely, I would not say extra, just a little bit of, man, this is our chance to start the season off strong on a good foot and knowing that the opponent that we have," Maye said. "You get to say, you get a little bit of a, you get your revenge game, but I would not say revenge game. They won the big one, and we got to start the season off. You cannot get that game back that we lost, so we are onto something new."

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