Cool Link QBSchool: Drake Maye Super Bowl 60 Analysis

Borg140 · Feb 11, 2026

ALP said:
The OL was crap, but I think Maye was actually worse.

If he protects the ball better (no fumble on a weak hit in the pocket, doesn’t throw a horrendous long INT, and takes the obvious sack in the pick 6) we actually have a game, even with how badly we were playing on offense

I agree, although I don’t think they would have won without at least one Seattle turnover. I really don’t think Darnold played well either, but he didn’t make the mistakes Maye did. His decision making isn’t where it needs to be.

slash83 · Feb 11, 2026

Man so after one bad game playing against an elite defense with a beat up shoulder Maye sucks, too bad, thought he was the one.

lancerman · Feb 11, 2026

jal said:
We've seen historically great offenses get manhandled when the offensive line is being overrun (from 2007 Pats to 2013 Broncos to 2020 Chiefs). There isn't a playcall that magically makes your guys able to block their guys. You can do quick game but if the defense knows that's all you have they will sit on those routes.

Football is ultimately a simple game as far as the line of scrimmage is concerned. If you dominate them then it doesn't matter what play you run everything will work. If they dominate you, nothing you do will work - you cannot run or pass. It's only when there's a reasonable balance of you winning and them winning that tactics really come into play (most games are played within this reasonable margin).

This. The unfortunate reality is that Seattle was just a far better team up front and we didn’t have the lineman to stop the rush or establish any inside run, and the QB lacked the pocket presence and quick read ability to do any sort of mitigation.

There’s no magic playbook that is going to even the tables on that. We didn’t start scoring until Drake went full gunslinger mode and took reckless passes that while it led to some garbage time movement, it also led to turnovers to ice the game out.

And frankly we saw this all playbook. Andy Reid is one of the best offensive minds in the league, has a better QB, has had better weapons on offense. We’ve seen two Super Bowls where he couldn’t use his creativity to overcome just an outright domination up front. McVay is another one and we beat him in a game his offense scored 3 points for similar reasons

When it’s that much of a mismatch, you are just going to lose unless the opponent is equally bad the other way.

lancerman · Feb 11, 2026

slash83 said:
Man so after one bad game playing against an elite defense with a beat up shoulder Maye sucks, too bad, thought he was the one.

The issue is he just had one of the worst QB playoff runs ever. It wasn’t one game. It was 4. That’s nearly a quarter of the regular season.

You can’t crown him all year and when people point out a historically easy schedule totally dismiss it, then look at this playoff performance when he finally gets a set of top teams and watch him become a totally different guy and then pretend it’s nothing either.

Like let’s be real, a lot of us were crying that Stafford robbed Maye on MVP and saying he had a lifetime achievement award, and then in back to back games Stafford and Maye play the top defense in the league and one is a major reason his team had a chance and the other was a liability.

slash83 · Feb 11, 2026

lancerman said:
The issue is he just had one of the worst QB playoff runs ever. It wasn’t one game. It was 4. That’s nearly a quarter of the regular season.

You can’t crown him all year and when people point out a historically easy schedule totally dismiss it, then look at this playoff performance when he finally gets a set of top teams and watch him become a totally different guy and then pretend it’s nothing either.

Like let’s be real, a lot of us were crying that Stafford robbed Maye on MVP and saying he had a lifetime achievement award, and then in back to back games Stafford and Maye play the top defense in the league and one is a major reason his team had a chance and the other was a liability.

It was four games, against four top 5 defenses, 1,2,3 ranked defenses. Two of those games in blizzard like conditions,,facts.

Toofy · Feb 11, 2026

lancerman said:
The issue is he just had one of the worst QB playoff runs ever. It wasn’t one game. It was 4. That’s nearly a quarter of the regular season.

You can’t crown him all year and when people point out a historically easy schedule totally dismiss it, then look at this playoff performance when he finally gets a set of top teams and watch him become a totally different guy and then pretend it’s nothing either.

Like let’s be real, a lot of us were crying that Stafford robbed Maye on MVP and saying he had a lifetime achievement award, and then in back to back games Stafford and Maye play the top defense in the league and one is a major reason his team had a chance and the other was a liability.

Agreed. If we r being honest and consider how we treated Mac Jones after Buffalo playoffs why should Maye get benefit when he flustered against difficult competition. I agree intangibles are insane for Maye and he played in otherworldly mode in regular season. But if we remove our fan colored glasses, it was relatively easier competition and we always had a lead thanks to complementary football .

Teams are now aware of maye's tendencies. So we need to see the growth in him on all the pointers raised above . If Maye does not improve his decision making and quick short area passes , I think In 2 years time we will need to make a different decision. I feel there will definitely be a regression this year as the easy deep outlets that Maye had this year will not be present. Everyone will dare him to throw deep and as you stumble with no success , you start going into the sandpit more and more.

Josh and maye need to really work this off-season . One positive is we got 4 additional games of film on how not to be a crappy QB and how not to be a crappy Oline.

Kargetina · Feb 11, 2026

slash83 said:
Man so after one bad game playing against an elite defense with a beat up shoulder Maye sucks, too bad, thought he was the one.

Maye had the most fumbles by a QB in one postseason in NFL history (7), most turnovers by a QB in one postseason in NFL history (11), the worst EPA by a quarterback who started 3 games in a postseason since 2000 and the worst pass EPA by any QB s with -41. His SB performance was second worst this century by EPA prior to the last quarter where garbage time stats raised him from second worst to sixth worst.

It's a historically bad run by any measurement, normal stats, advanced stats, the eye test.

I feel really sorry for him, it feels like the entire world has thrown down on him all the bottled hatred, envy and malice they had which accumulated during the Brady/Belichick era, and he seems like kind, good natured human being, and i empathize deeply.

But the drop from the being one vote away of being a deserved MVP, to looking a bewildered, scared, turnover machine that got worse from one game to another is inexplicable. One bad game is expected by anyone, Brady had his duds in the playoffs. Two is disappointing, three is alarming, and whatever that was in the Super Bowl is something that can scar a player for life, especially after all the reactions post game.

I really hope he leaves this post season behind him and uses the fuel to become a calmer, more confident player that will have a prosperous career.

neuronet · Feb 11, 2026

Is McDaniels aware of how important it is they get a good short passing game locked in?

slash83 · Feb 11, 2026

neuronet said:
Is McDaniels aware of how important it is they get a good short passing game locked in?

Were check downs available for Maye and he was just bypassing them?

mike_usagisan · Feb 11, 2026

This may just be the optimist in me, but when the Pats scored the touchdown in the 4th quarter that we had a decent chance. And then Maye started taking some crazy chances throwing into tight coverage and giving up the interception. I'm going to play "what if" for a long time wondering what would have happened if Maye had calmed down there.

Kargetina · Feb 11, 2026

mike_usagisan said:
This may just be the optimist in me, but when the Pats scored the touchdown in the 4th quarter that we had a decent chance. And then Maye started taking some crazy chances throwing into tight coverage and giving up the interception. I'm going to play "what if" for a long time wondering what would have happened if Maye had calmed down there.

This wasn't an unbeatable team, the difference was Darnold kept his poise and Maye didn't.

With the exception of the time between the fumble, and the Hollins TD, the lead was never larger than 12 points. The defense gave the offense chance after chance, and they couldn't do anything. Even after the horrendous pick, the defense didn't allow more than the three points which were a given after the pick. It was still a two-score game, nothing impossible with 5 minutes to play. Unfortunately, Drake threw yet another pick, this time a pick six.

Down 12 > fumble resulting in 7
Down 12 > pick resulting in 3
Down 15 > pick six

You can't win a game where the QB gives up 17 points in 10 minutes, you can have the 85' Bears defense and it'll be in vain. Seattle played stress free for the entire game, they never trailed, they were never forced to risk it instead of banking 3 points, and who knows how Darnold plays if he's forced to throw, or if they are up only 19-14 and a turnover means losing the game. We'll never know.

TheRainMaker · Feb 11, 2026

Hyped said:
The 2009 team was vastly worse than the 2008 team, IMO. I mean they didn’t have Seymour. Welker gets hurt in Houston just before the playoffs and AFTER Belichick says “roll coverage to Moss, bracket Welker, and we are done!”. In that playoff game vs. the Ravens…the one where Ray Rice opens the game with a long TD…I remember us targeting Sam Aiken out of desperation.

I think we take the Ravens in 2008.

I absolutely hated the Seymour trade and think it was a mistake. He would've been useful on that Ray Rice play you mentioned and against the Jets one year later. Welker injury against Houston was a tough break. They were an odd team in 2009. They'd be beating down the Colts up 31-10, yet somehow lost.

ahmed said:
Maye has a lot to work on and his biggest weakness, IMO, reared its head. Maye does not seem to handle pressure, rushing and the situation/game's importance, anywhere as well as he should. showed up many times last year and a couple times this year but not many such opps.

I'm not sure if I'm understanding you correctly, but are you saying Maye lacks urgency? If so, that's how I feel as well. I'm referring to game situations and his style of play. Whether they are up 20 or down 20, he has the same game speed.

ahmed said:
Beyond that, he needs to work on pocket presence, release ball much faster, read defenses and adjust better, improve short game and taking checkdowns and throwing ball away.

His slow release bothers me the most. He also needs to work on making a decision faster. However, the video showed that the WR/TE's aren't on the same page recognizing the blitz and adjusting their routes.

NFL Mystique said:
He will never be a Mahomes type QB. Not many guys are.

Mahomes needs to work on being Mahomes again. His mechanics are getting very sloppy. The team also needs to get it together and get some help for him.

Ross12 · Feb 11, 2026

mike_usagisan said:
This may just be the optimist in me, but when the Pats scored the touchdown in the 4th quarter that we had a decent chance. And then Maye started taking some crazy chances throwing into tight coverage and giving up the interception. I'm going to play "what if" for a long time wondering what would have happened if Maye had calmed down there.

They definitely had a chance. Maye was going too hard there. He knew they had a shot and he was just over-doing it. If he had played within himself they might've had something. But, the only reason they were in it was because of two unreal throws by him on the prior drive in the first place. So it's kinda hard to knock him at the same time.

At the end of the day it will be a great learning experience for him regardless.

ViperGTS · Feb 11, 2026

slash83 said:
It was four games, against four top 5 defenses, 1,2,3 ranked defenses. Two of those games in blizzard like conditions,,facts.

The blizzard excuse went out the window when he was really bad in the SB. Wasn't a blizzard then. Also the shoulder crap needs to stop as well since he was able to throw a couple of absolute dots during the game.

Nah, he was pretty bad in the SB and if that was Caleb Williams, we'd be all over ourselves to say the same thing. Thats what everyone has to do. Replace Maye in that game with any other young QB and ask themselves what they would say.

I for one expected him to pick apart the zone which is 180 out from what he did. It was jarring.

Grogan14 · Feb 11, 2026

There is no plausible excuse.
Drake played poorly, even though the OL was also terrible.
He had inaccurate throws, poor pocket presence and lacked awareness to move away from pressure.
The turnovers are not excusable.
His inexperience showed.
He has a lot to learn and was not ready for the SB.

ViperGTS · Feb 11, 2026

slash83 said:
Were check downs available for Maye and he was just bypassing them?

Yes, quite a few. In fact he left many first downs on the field.

Patsfan1645 · Feb 11, 2026

Ross12 said:
They definitely had a chance. Maye was going too hard there. He knew they had a shot and he was just over-doing it. If he had played within himself they might've had something. But, the only reason they were in it was because of two unreal throws by him on the prior drive in the first place. So it's kinda hard to knock him at the same time.

At the end of the day it will be a great learning experience for him regardless.

This..... This is year two for him and year one as a starter as well as year one in a new offense. Experience is what he needs most. With experience the game will slow down and help him remain calm. He is not anywhere near his ceiling today and he has not mastered this difficult offense yet and it may be several years before he does. this game does not fall just on his shoulders. The coaching failed, the blocking and schemes failed, lack of adjustments was a fail. There are a lot of things to point at that led to this defeat and not just any one person. It would be easier for me to name players who I though played well in this game vs who did not....Rham, Gonzo and Woodson.

Ross12 · Feb 11, 2026

Patsfan1645 said:
This..... This is year two for him and year one as a starter as well as year one in a new offense. Experience is what he needs most. With experience the game will slow down and help him remain calm. He is not anywhere near his ceiling today and he has not mastered this difficult offense yet and it may be several years before he does. this game does not fall just on his shoulders. The coaching failed, the blocking and schemes failed, lack of adjustments was a fail. There are a lot of things to point at that led to this defeat and not just any one person. It would be easier for me to name players who I though played well in this game vs who did not....Rham, Gonzo and Woodson.

Yep. Most of the other guys coming out are being drafted much older. He is still younger today than Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix were on the day they were drafted.

He is always being compared to Matthew Stafford. Stafford was also drafted young (21 years old)... Where was Stafford at this point?

Year 1: Stafford went 2-8 before going on IR.
Year 2: Stafford went 1-2 and missed most of the season with injury again. (<--- Maye is currently here)

Here are the next few years of Stafford's rookie contract, as a reference point...

Year 3: Stafford finally experiences some level of success, going 10-6 and making a wild card berth... but losing in the first round, going 0-1 in the playoffs.
Year 4: Stafford goes 4-12, misses the playoffs
Year 5: Stafford goes 7-9, misses the playoffs; his coach gets fired

So for the folks on the "Maye sucks" train... Let's keep some context. Not every QB is Tom Brady.

jal · Feb 11, 2026

lancerman said:
The issue is he just had one of the worst QB playoff runs ever. It wasn’t one game. It was 4. That’s nearly a quarter of the regular season.

You can’t crown him all year and when people point out a historically easy schedule totally dismiss it, then look at this playoff performance when he finally gets a set of top teams and watch him become a totally different guy and then pretend it’s nothing either.

Like let’s be real, a lot of us were crying that Stafford robbed Maye on MVP and saying he had a lifetime achievement award, and then in back to back games Stafford and Maye play the top defense in the league and one is a major reason his team had a chance and the other was a liability.

I thought Maye played mostly well against the Chargers and Texans. It was the last two games that were truly bad.

lancerman · Feb 11, 2026

jal said:
I thought Maye played mostly well against the Chargers and Texans. It was the last two games that were truly bad.

No the score of the Texans game and the actual performance were not indicative of each other.

Maye fumbled 4 times, 2 led to turnovers and the other 2 hurt drives and had an interception. 9 out of 12 drives ended in a punt or turnover. Most of those drives ending between 12 and negative 19 yards. He was bailed out by Stroud being so awful.

Maye also had a mediocre Chargers game. 2 more fumbles and lost one and an interception.

His passer rating will always look nice cause he doesn’t get penalized for fumbles and holding onto the ball too long for taking stats so he limited incompletions and he’ll bust out a lot of stats on a good drive once or twice a game. But it’s the same story Rodgers had.

This was one of the all time bad playoff runs for a QB that made a SB.

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