PostGame Thread 2025 OFFICIAL POSTGAME THREAD: Patriots fall 29-13 to the Seahawks

[Lavictoire]

Missed this one.

 

[SVN]

one other thing...how many times we got 7-8 yards on 1st down to only get sacked or go back or punt...just never stayed on track.

 

[JonBonesJones84]

Pats had a fantastic season when most in the media and even fans here thought they'd be among the worst in the league.

The OL and the offense finally got exposed and there was too much to overcome.

The defense played fantastic as long as they could, but it was like the Bart Scott joke earlier this week "We'd give the offense the ball at the opponent's 10 yard line and we'd end up punting".

Milton Williams and the pass rush had a rough night. He and a few others would beat their guy, but they couldn't close the deal and get to Darnold. Would it have made a difference if Williams got 3 sacks tonight like he should of? Probably not.

Christian Gonzalez settled the debate of drafting him or JSN. He played a great game tonight knocking down passes. He's getting paid this offseason.

Craig Woodson was another guy who stood out tonight. He's a willing downhill tackler.

As I stated in the Campbell thread, I'm seriously concerned about him. Prior to his injury, he's got a lower body strength problem that was ignored. He easily gets bull rushed into Maye which pretty much wrecks the play. Moving him to G as many want will not solve that problem. He needs to build strength or work on his technique.

They have to figure out what to do with Jared Wilson because he was awful all season.

Owenu will return at his number because cutting him will create another need on the OL they can't afford.

Rham did his best during the postseason and protected the ball well, but he's just very meh. They need a better bell cow back.

Drake Maye had a great 2nd season and was the runner up to MVP. However, he's got a lot to work on. I've said it before and say it again, he's got the same release speed no matter how fast a defender is coming at him. He always throws it as if he's playing in a 7 on 7. This is what's causing so many strip sacks.

The OL was so bad, the Pats need to seriously consider taking Diggs money at his number and apply it towards the OL. He has a $28M cap number and is owed $23.5M for 2026. That's way too much for a slot guy at his age who barely mustered 1,000 yards in a 17 game season. It's even worse when you break down his biggest games of the season. He's just not the same guy he was in Minnesota or Buffalo who was one of the best man beaters in the league. He's the exact opposite now being dead to rights when anyone mans up on him. I would be shocked if he returns.

Pats need to get more athletic at the TE position. And I'm tired of seeing Henry dropping passes.

Last but not least, the late 2015 game plan by McDaniels was infuriating. Collinsworth sensing early on that the offense was just playing not to lose so the defense could win it made me sick to my stomach. McDaniels has had this problem his entire career either turtling whenever he faces a talented defense or if there's an injury or two on offense.

If that’s the case, and Maye continues to be a statue (maybe someone will make good use and use him as a bird bath), feet planted in the ground, no strong football IQ. Are we back to the same old drawing board of looking to draft a QB who is close to Tom Brady or stuck with a QB who is just good enough to win marginally, but only if the defense gets you there comfortably.

 

[Delicate Genius]

In the last 19 months, my teams have lost two Stanley Cups, a World Series, and now a Super Bowl.

 

[PatriotSpy]

Then why continue to keep him at LT knowing how bad he was at the position? Was there truly nobody else that was better?

Sometimes it takes a bold move and it's that bold move that makes a difference. They didn't do that tonight. A veteran coach shouldn't fear what a rookie feels about a team decision.

They had a 3 alarm fire on the left side and they ignored it.

 

[SVN]

Sometimes it takes a bold move and it's that bold move that makes a difference. They didn't do that tonight. A veteran coach shouldn't fear what a rookie feels about a team decision.

They had a 3 alarm fire on the left side and they ignored it.

Just different coaching philosphies. I remmber when BB was here he would say, its too late to make adjustments at half time and sometimes have to try ghings early. Now he made other suspect decsions like not opting to kick a FG "in the game which must not be named" but he wouldve tried something else on LT . He also had the advantage of having brady who was a far superior reader of these defenses and helped the Oline a lot. Not sure if vrabel put a new guy there wouldve helped a lot since maye couldnt pick up the protections correctly at times.

 

[fnordcircle]

They had a 3 alarm fire on the left side and they ignored it.

This is what I keep struggling to process/accept.

It was abundantly clear after oh I don't know, the first or second drive, that we were maybe going to need to consider doing something different.

At halftime I started daydreaming about going jumbo and running it over and over like we did in that one Buffalo game.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

My opinion is as long as he isnt required to do it, let him be. You guys act like we were all the beacon of integrity and accountability in our early 20s. Sitting here behind your keyboards calling someone who doesnt wanna take questions weak and a ***** is one of the saddest things I've seen. And I just watched the Patriots SB LX offense. I know sad.

1. Last line was funny AND sad.

2. My take is it’s weak and frontrunnerish. If he hadn’t talked all year that’s fine, but he talked about fighting and dying for Drake but left Drake alone to answer for that mess after giving up 14 pressures by himself … just a bad look.

 

[TB12TheGoat]

Maye was bad but so was McDaniels. this game plan goes right next to SB 42

masterpiece
SB 49
SB 52

good
SB 51

meh
SB 53

****ing garbage
SB 42
SB 60

 

[UGAPatsfan]

If that’s the case, and Maye continues to be a statue (maybe someone will make good use and use him as a bird bath), feet planted in the ground, no strong football IQ. Are we back to the same old drawing board of looking to draft a QB who is close to Tom Brady or stuck with a QB who is just good enough to win marginally, but only if the defense gets you there comfortably.

He really reminds me of young Bledsoe. Difference being Bledsoe was kind of clutch. Drake obviously more mobile. But both guys held the ball.

 

[UGAPatsfan]

Diggs turned his back on the flag and national anthem?

Off the **** he can go. Seriously. He isn’t nearly good enough to look past that ****.

 

[TB12TheGoat]

He really reminds me of young Bledsoe. Difference being Bledsoe was kind of clutch. Drake obviously more mobile. But both guys held the ball.

I said it a few weeks ago, but Maye has the same problem that Rodgers and Wilson do/did. they take wayyyyyy too many sacks by holding onto the ball. it’s why a stat like passer rating has always made them look a lot better than they are

Rodgers is obviously still an all-time great, but his holding onto the ball really stands out when you compare him to Brady, Manning, Brees, and Mahomes

 

[jal]

Drake has a lot of growing to do. That’s ok! He has clearly shown he has the ability to be a Super Bowl caliber QB. Brady in year 2 wasn’t close to being the player Brady was in year 4 or 5. Same goes for Peyton or Drew. The fact of the matter is our offense was simply overmatched in most of these playoff games. We need to upgrade the talent, both on the line and in the pass catchers. At least we have quite a bit of capital to do so….hopefully we can. It’s no guarantee.

 

[TommyD4207]

I find it hard to believe Ben Brown wasn't a better option than Jared Wilson.

Everyone seems to be ****ting on.Campbell and he wasn't great, but Wilson was the problem and is the problem. Half of Campbell's issues were trying to bail out Wilson.

Combine that with Maye holding the ball too long (he had open receivers quickly and often and simply didn't trust what he was looking at).

They just dont have the roster yet. They will. And the kids will get better.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Diggs turned his back on the flag and national anthem?

He's a loser, always been a loser.
We love him because he's good...
Doesn't change a fkn thing. He was a degenerate before, and another push...
How many times do it need?

 

[JonBonesJones84]

You have to remember many people said Maye was a complete project with huge upside some even said he needed to "sit for 2 years".

He just played in the Super Bowl in his second season, given the jump from year 1 to year 2 i have faith he can make another jump in years 3/4 to being more comfortable in the pocket especially if we fix some of the protection issues.

He definitely looked better in the pocket during the season but got jittery and looked scared to release the ball the last few weeks how much of that was just the pass rush and protection screwing with him?

Maye was playing poorly even against bad teams. Maye just couldn’t switch up the play calling or change up the audible when he saw the defense lined up differently.

I hate to say this because I absolutely hate Stafford, but this vindication for Stafford winning the MVP for sure. Maye would play poorly when it mattered even against bad teams. Stafford played great against all teams. Especially the good ones. Seahawks and Pats got to the SB because of the defense. That’s the only reason it was even close.

And yeah, I know Stafford has Nacua and Adams. Still doesn’t negate that Stafford isn’t a total dork who sits in the pocket and refuses to throw the ball.

 

[festy1986]

I'm ****ing heated that Drake through that into into triple coverage on a jump ball throw when it was totally unnecessary.

You was driving. You had 8 mins left. You had plenty of time to score, kick and play defense to get the ball back for a game winning drive.

Once you was in they gotta throw mode it became immensely more difficult for him.

 

[JonBonesJones84]

All regular season Maye was making several jaw dropping throws downfield every game. We're talking just simply elite amazing throws 20-30, 40 yards downfield. Those plays were few and far between in the post season. Was it bc he was hurt as he said he took a toradol (guessing) shot or was it because he can't make plays against good defenses OR mcdaniels drilled it into his head so much to take care of the ball that Maye was gun shy. Or did mcdaniels just take the middle/ deep middle/perimeter game out of the game plan.
They won games all season with Maye slinging it downfield, passing on early downs... And mcdaniels turns the playoffs into the Stevenson show. Don't get it

Was it really McDaniels? Or was it just Drake Maye who simply turned into a pumpkin against even the bad teams in the playoffs?

Maybe it’s both and McDaniels thought the Seahawks would gas similar to the Falcons’ defense and they would pound the ball with Stevenson on 3rd and long

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Sadly we will miss next year .


We have an ageing team and performance will dip. We need to take some risky moves like getting a new rt , center and left guard.

Get new tight ends and possibly get younger at wr with Alec Pierce instead of diggs and find a slot receiver.

No, they're a young team with some old players in some key positions. At the start of the year they were tied for 7th with 13 players who were 29 or older on the 53. But they were also the 11th-youngest team on average, at just over 26.

 

[Gallo]

Wasn't as close as the score would suggest, this team has quite a few holes still.