We’re almost at the big game. After Drake Maye’s snubbing at the NFL awards, he might have just a bit more fire in his belly for this Super Bowl. Not that New England’s QB1 needed more in the first place. Let’s break down this matchup against the Seattle Seahawks and decide just how many passing yards Maye will end up with.
Seattle is favored by 4.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook, and the game total sits at 45.5 points.
Let’s break down how New England’s star QB will perform.
How many passing yards will Drake Maye have in Super Bowl 60?
Much has been made about Maye’s play in the postseason. It seems all anyone wants to talk about is the strength of schedule; in the regular season, the Patriots were happy to play many weak teams. And as any good team does, they crushed inferior competition often. Then the playoffs rolled around, and out came elite defense after elite defense. First, it was the Chargers. Then the Texans, arguably the best defense in football. Last step was the Broncos, another team firmly in the discussion for the NFL’s best defense. And Maye had his struggles.
The MVP runner-up has six (!!!) fumbles and two interceptions through his first three playoff games. He managed to stay turnover-free against Denver, a small miracle in those conditions, but 86 yards on 21 passing attempts isn’t doing him any favors. All fuel for the haters, right? But they’ve managed to overlook all the good he has done.
Maye led the team on three full-field scoring drives against the Texans. Despite their fierce pass rush and elite secondary, he managed to throw for three scores against Houston, a feat that only occurred once against them in the regular season. He also kept drive after drive alive with his legs against the Chargers and the Broncos. If anything, this playoff run has proven that when there’s a will, there’s a Maye.
But the Seahawks are a different beast entirely. The Texans gave him a lot of trouble by lining up and getting after it. Seattle’s defense has talented personnel, but the play calling has been otherworldly. They disguise coverages and blitzes better than anyone; it’s no wonder that Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has a 6-0 career record against quarterbacks aged 23 or younger.
Maye’s passing line is at 223.5 yards on the DraftKings Sportsbook. I don’t have much confidence he’ll reach that; the combination of pass rush and secondary play will be a lot for him. I’d hit the under; it’s hard to imagine Maye having much more than 200 here.
