"The New England Patriots made their first Super Bowl of the Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye era. Through three "slug it out" performances, the Patriots were able to grind out wins in low-scoring affairs headlined by elite defensive performances. They allowed just 3 points to the Chargers in the wild card and only 7 to the Broncos. In the divisional round, they forced five turnovers."
"Call me crazy, but a strong performance from the starting quarterback might just give a team the edge. While it may seem obvious, Drake Maye's play is the most critical piece to New England's success. After coping with the elements and the cold through three playoff matchups, Maye will be playing in the perfect weather of Santa Clara on Super Bowl Sunday. Through his three playoff games, Maye has been disappointing through the air."
"His passing yards total has gone down each game, with his 86 yards against the Broncos being a career low. He's averaged 177.7 yards per game in the playoffs despite averaging 258.5 during the regular season, and his performances in big games haven't been great to this point in his career. Maye will need a stellar performance against the best defense he's played so far this playoffs to be crowned a champion."
The Patriots reached their first Super Bowl of the Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye era after three low-scoring, defensive-driven playoff wins. The defense allowed just 3 points to the Chargers, 7 to the Broncos, and forced five turnovers in the divisional round. The offense has been lackluster, requiring disciplined execution to succeed against the league's premier defense. Drake Maye's passing production declined through three playoff games, averaging 177.7 yards versus 258.5 in the regular season, and he has had near-interceptions and limited big-game success. Maye needs a clean, stellar performance, while offensive-line play—highlighted by concerns about Will Campbell—must improve.
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