Pats' Maye received pain-killing shot in shoulder before Super Bowl
Despite receiving a pain-killing injection before Super Bowl LX, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye didn't blame his injured shoulder for his performance.
"I think it'd be hard to say that," Maye said after the 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, according to MassLive's Mark Daniels. "I was feeling good enough to be out there. If I'm out there, I wouldn't put the team in harm's way to not be myself. Just didn't make the plays tonight."
Maye suffered the ailment during New England's victory over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. He was a limited participant in practice the following week but logged a full-participant designation in every session the week leading up to the Super Bowl.
"My shoulder feels - they shot it up, so not much feeling," Maye said. "Feels good to go. I felt alright."
Maye completed 27 of 43 passes for 295 yards and two scores in addition to committing three turnovers. However, most of his production came in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach.
The 23-year-old entered the final frame with 60 passing yards, while the team had generated just 78 net yards on 39 offensive plays. Maye was under duress all night, as he was sacked six times while facing a 52.8% pressure rate, according to Next Gen Stats.
After a terrific sophomore campaign in which he finished second in MVP voting, Maye struggled in the postseason. Out of 33 quarterbacks who made at least three starts during a playoff run over the last 10 years, he ranked last in EPA per pass play, according to The Ringer's Sheil Kapadia.
"We can sit here and try to put it on one guy," head coach Mike Vrabel said postgame, according to Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper. "You'll be disappointed because that'll never happen. It starts with us as a coaching staff and making sure that we're doing our part.
"Obviously, we have to be able to execute. We gotta be able to protect. When we do protect, we have to be able to progress through and throw the ball with guys open and help the quarterback. And then he's gotta be better. That's just how it goes. That's never gonna change."
Maye finished the postseason with 828 passing yards, seven total touchdowns, and eight turnovers. He was also sacked 21 times, the most ever during a playoff run.