Drake Maye’s remarkable 2025 season ended with a thud on the biggest stage, as the Seattle Seahawks overwhelmed the New England Patriots 29–13 in Super Bowl LX. For a quarterback who led the league in completion percentage and QBR during the regular season, the performance was a sharp downturn, two interceptions, constant pressure, and never a true rhythm.
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During an appearance with Rich Eisen, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald was asked bluntly about the defensive approach.
“It looked like, you know, you identified a way through and hit the crap out of that… well, you know, all game.”
Macdonald didn’t describe an all-out blitz fest. Instead, he pointed to situational control that began on early downs.
“I think one thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is how we played on early downs, you know, in some of those run or pass type of situations where we’re able to like force and maximize the amount of times that they needed to drop back.”
That early-down dominance was the foundation. Seattle consistently limited New England’s rushing success, putting Maye in second-and-long and third-and-obvious passing situations. By “maximizing the amount of times that they needed to drop back,” the Seahawks removed balance from the Patriots’ offense and dictated the script.
“It’s tough to do that in the NFL at a certain frequency throughout a game. And the way our guys played on first down to create those opportunities was what our guys asked for because now they can come to life and execute their rush plan and dial up blitzes.”
Once Seattle forced predictable dropbacks, the pass rush could “come to life.” Edge rushers attacked protection tendencies. Interior defenders collapsed the pocket. Blitzes were dialed up at calculated moments rather than randomly. The result was six sacks in the Super Bowl and relentless disruption that never allowed Maye to settle.
The irony is that Maye’s regular season was historic. Pro Football Focus ranked him No. 25 overall in its Top 101, noting his 80.7 overall grade, 76.6 passing grade, and dynamic rushing impact. He completed 72 percent of his passes averaged 8.9 yards per attempt, threw 31 touchdowns, and finished runner-up for MVP. He led the franchise past marks once set by Tom Brady and tied Patrick Mahomes for the most 100-plus passer rating games in a season by a quarterback under 24.
But the postseason told a different story. His completion rate dipped to 58.3 percent. He threw four interceptions in four playoff games. His PFF playoff passing grade plummeted to 35.3. Protection issues played a role — the Patriots surrendered 47 sacks in the regular season and 21 more in the playoffs — yet Seattle’s approach was about more than pressure totals.
Macdonald’s defense didn’t just attack Maye. It engineered the circumstances to expose him. By winning on first down, forcing predictable passing situations, and then unleashing a tailored rush plan, the Seahawks turned a breakout superstar into a young quarterback fighting for survival.
