Patriots quarterback Drake Maye did not look like his usual self in the Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks. That much is obvious. One of the biggest reasons being discussed for the subpar performance, from an MVP runner-up no less, is the pain-killing injection he reportedly took before kickoff.
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Former wide receiver Cris Carter addressed this on his podcast and explained why a simple injection that sounds like a ‘non-issue’ to some may have played a major role in costing Maye and New England the Super Bowl.
Carter says quarterbacks and other skill players rarely take pain-killing injections before games. For QBs, these injections can affect mechanics, comfort in the pocket, and even how the coaching staff calls the game. Play designers may shy away from QB movement, bootlegs, or designed runs to avoid further injury. And that’s something that happened with the Pats, Carter argued.
“You don’t see quarterbacks getting injections in minor football and playing well. You don’t see skilled guys, wide receivers, and DBs. Cause we’re not used to it. We can’t control our falling,” Carter began on the Fully Loaded podcast, before delving into what happened with Maye in the first quarter.
“In the first quarter, when you can’t get any first downs, and you’re getting hit, guess what? I know I got an injection. Noone else knows… But as an athlete, so now, not only are we being successful [in converting downs and racking up points], but I’m getting hit. And I can’t run because I’m a little afraid cause I already got an injection, and I’m not get myself hurt worse than it.”
Carter suggested the Patriots may not have had a full game plan once it became clear Maye was struggling early. After back-to-back quarters with missed throws, no scores and stalled drives, New England appeared stuck. They could not lean on QB runs due to injury risk, and the Seahawks’ pass rush kept collapsing the pocket.
Seattle consistently generated pressure with its front four, never letting Maye settle or work through progressions. Carter said it reminded him of how defenses used to attack another Patriots quarterback. “Guess who looked bad in a couple Super Bowls?” Carter asked, before answering, “Tom Brady.”
Brady lost two of his three Super Bowl defeats to the New York Giants, and the blueprint was the same both times. Pressure, pressure, pressure. In Super Bowl XLII, the Giants sacked Brady five times. In Super Bowl XLVI, they recorded 27 total pressures. The pressure rates were 46.5 percent and 43.4 percent.
On Sunday, Maye faced pressure on 52.8 percent of his dropbacks and was sacked six times. That is a recipe for disaster in any championship game, it seems.
The difference, notably, is that Brady kept his losses competitive: 17-14 and 21-17. Maye did not. While his final stat line read 295 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions on 27-of-43 passing, much of that production came late. Before the fourth quarter, Maye was just 8 of 18 for 60 yards. By then, the Seahawks’ defense had already dictated the game script.
Carter also drew parallels to Patrick Mahomes’ Super Bowl losses to Maye’s struggles. Against the Buccaneers, Mahomes was pressured 29 times, the most ever in a Super Bowl, and hit nine times. The final score read 31-9.
Against the Eagles last year, he was sacked six times and pressured on nearly half his dropbacks in the first half, with much of his and the Chiefs’ production coming in cleanup duty. The final scoreline was 40-22.
So, when people say defense does not win championships, point them to games like these.
