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Drake Maye is expected to see more of his biggest weakness when the New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
Getting his shoulder right for the big game is just one part of Drake Maye’s biggest challenge when the New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
The second-year quarterback is also expected to seem more of a defense he’s hated facing during an otherwise spectacular 2025 NFL season. It’s something the Seahawks play at a high rate, and they’re likely to increase the usage based on how other teams, including the Pats’ AFC East rivals the Buffalo Bills, used the tactic to frustrate Maye.
Put simply, Maye can expect to see a lot more Cover 6, a combination-style zone coverage the Bills and Baltimore Ravens deployed successfully against the Patriots. The coverage is described by Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, as “a split-field coverage with quarters on half the field and Cover 2 on the other half.”
Sean McDermott did something in the Bills rematch vs the Patriots that was critical to beating Drake Maye
it was so successful, coaches since have tried to copy it
a fascinating look at what he did in Week 15
and how it may unlock the key to beating NE in the Super Bowl
More important than the terminology, are Maye’s below-average numbers against this defense. A defense the Seahawks already major in playing ahead of the season-deciding game at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, February 8.
Drake Maye Has a Cover 6 Problem
The Bills were the first to expose Maye’s problem against Cover 6, going all in on the strategy for their Week 15 rematch at Gillette Stadium, a 35-31 defeat for the Patriots. As “Foxborough Fellas Podcast host” Pete Collins detailed, “Buffalo normally plays it on 11.6% of snaps (NFL AVG 9.8%). In Week 5, they used it 11.8% and lost. In Week 15, they cranked it up to 50%, and Maye went -0.34 EPA/att, 23% success rate, 4.3 Y/A.”
Collins also noted how the “Ravens copied it, their usage jumped from 10.4% to 20.8%, and nearly stole a game without Lamar. Against Buffalo and Baltimore: -0.58 EPA/att, 22% success rate, 2 picks, 61% pressure despite a 3.67s TTT. Vs other zone, he’s elite. Vs Cover 6, he’s near the bottom.”
Those numbers were a warning sign for Maye and the Patriots. A warning compounded during the playoffs, when the “Chargers, Texans, and Broncos all doubled their usual Cover 6 rates in the playoffs. Results? 2.1 net Y/A on 63 dropbacks vs Cover 6, dead last among QBs.”
New England’s final postseason opponent “already live there at 25%,” according to Collins. The latter believes “this comes down to pre-snap ID and checks. Two weeks for JMD to prepare. I don’t mind those odds.”
Maye vs Cover 6 since apparently that’s the blueprint.
Shoutout @JoeLFGPatsPod who nailed how to attack it.
Bills sniffed it out. Buffalo normally plays it on 11.6% of snaps (NFL AVG 9.8%). In Week 5, they used it 11.8% and lost. In Week 15, they cranked it up to 50%, and Maye
While Collins is optimistic about offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels coming up with a counter to Maye’s kryptonite, there’s good reason to fear how the Seahawks might use Cover 6. They are experts at disguising things on the back end and using pre-snap rotations among versatile personnel, including do-all rookie safety Nick Emmanwori and slot cornerback Devon Witherspoon, to confuse quarterbacks.
Those things should concern Maye, who hasn’t played his cleanest football during these playoffs. He’s also shown a penchant for turnover-worthy plays that had coach Mike Vrabel worried earlier in the season.
Vrabel’s main focus will be seeing Maye get over what’s ailing his throwing arm, but there are other flaws the Patriots must fix to give their star signal-caller a fighting chance against Seattle’s dominant defense.
Patriots Face Pressure Problem vs. Seahawks
If Maye’s going to beat coverage, no matter how elaborate the zones are structured, he’ll need time. More time than the Patriots have provided their QB1 this postseason.
Maye has been sacked 15 times through three games, but as Mina Kimes told ESPN, “11 have come with just a four-man rush.” Kimes believes the Seahawks can target the left side of New England’s offensive line by using “overloads and also moving their pieces around, the defensive tackles, Leonard Williams in particular, aligning him to basically hunt your weakness.”
.@minakimes shares her thoughts on the difficulties Drake Maye could potentially face vs. the Seahawks’ defense ✍️
The main weakness in front of Maye has been usually been first-year left tackle Will Campbell. He’s been shredded by quality edge-rushers during these playoffs, so Campbell should expect the Seahawks to throw a lot at him.
If Campbell can hold up, with some help, Maye will have chance to work underneath any Cover 6 zone shells. Dumping the ball to running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, as well as tight ends Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, will soon have the Seahawks condensing their deep coverage.
This is going to be a test of Maye’s willingness to play small-ball and resist the urge to chance his arm deep too often. It’s the kind of challenge Patriots legend Tom Brady, who won six Super Bowls with the franchise by taking and exploiting what defenses gave him, would relish.
Maye is a different kind of quarterback, more feast or famine, but he’ll need to exercise a healthy measure of Brady’s patience to beat these Seahawks.
James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko
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