The Patriots Have Offensive Issues Heading into the Super Bowl

For the majority of the season, Drake Maye has been fantastic. He will likely finish second to Matthew Stafford in the MVP race after a dominant sophomore campaign. 

Maye threw for 4,394 yards this season with 31 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He had the best QBR in the NFL, so it has been very surprising to see his fall off in the playoffs. 

Even though Maye hasn’t been dominant, the Patriots are still heading to the Super Bowl. However, if they don’t improve on the offensive side of the ball, the Seattle Seahawks will cruise to a world title.

Unprecedented Playoff Run

Nobody expected the Patriots to be in the Super Bowl this season, even when they were ripping through their schedule. The Patriots were led by Maye throughout the season and they wouldn’t be in this position without his skillset. 

Maye’s level of play has definitely faded in the postseason, but the Patriots have been able to beat three top five defenses along the way. They beat the Chargers, Texans and Broncos with three of Maye’s worst games of the season, and this is something nobody would have expected. 

While New England has once again found its way to the Super Bowl, the Patriots’ offense has been far from dominant during this playoff run. Their path to Super Bowl LX has been defined more by defense, but this will have to change if they want to beat Seattle in the Super Bowl.

In the AFC Championship, the Patriots offense was historically bad despite coming away with the win. Maye made history, becoming the first quarterback ever to win the AFC Championship while throwing for under 100 yards. 

The Patriots Offense Must Improve

The Patriots’ offense is concerning heading into the Super Bowl because the Seahawks can score. Seattle, led by a confident Sam Darnold, are built to capitalize on short fields because of their elite defense. If the Patriots’ offense continues to decline, Seattle will win the title. Get more details along with the latest Super Bowl odds here.

Maye must protect the football and this is something he has done well throughout the regular season. He must return to this version of his play.

Second, he the offensive line needs to give him time to throw. Against Denver, New England often settled for conservative throws because they couldn’t trust their offensive line to give him time to take shots down the field. 

The Patriots will also need more from their skill position players like Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte. These players have made explosive catches, but the consistency hasn’t been there for the last three games. 

The best way for the Patriots to have success is early-down efficiency. Too often in the postseason, New England has found itself behind the chains due to negative plays or minimal gains on first down. 

That has put pressure on Maye in obvious passing situations, allowing opposing defenses to win. Against a Seahawks pass rush that can disrupt timing, the Patriots’ offensive line must be sharper and this really goes for rookie left tackle Will Campbell. 

Ultimately, the Patriots’ formula for winning Super Bowl LX will likely mirror what they have done all season. Maye’s passing prop is set at 225.5 passing yards on FanDuel Sportsbook, and with two weeks to prepare this is a strong play to the over. The Seahawks just got ripped for 374 yards by Matthew Stafford, and Maye has the same capability. 

The Patriots should return to their roots with attempts at explosive plays. If they do this, it gives Maye a chance to surpass this line and give New England another Super Bowl.

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