How Patriots Fix Their Biggest Problem, Help Drake Maye This Offseason

The New England Patriots fell short against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, but they have plenty to feel good about moving forward. They have the right coach in Mike Vrabel, and they have their quarterback in Drake Maye.

A few days before the Super Bowl, the second-year signal-caller came within five votes of being named NFL MVP.

However, New England's biggest problem showed itself early and often against Seattle, preventing Maye from winning his final game of the year. He was consistently under pressure and unable to handle it.

We've seen some of the game's best quarterbacks struggle in the Super Bowl when their pass protection breaks down. For New England, it's a multi-layered problem that will require multiple offseason answers.

Here, we'll dive into the Patriots' biggest weaknesses, the steps they can take to address them, and how they can get more out of their ascending quarterback.

Retain Key Contributors, Keep Josh McDaniels

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels

The Patriots could use upgrades in a few key areas, which we'll get into shortly. However, they must first ensure they don't take a step back before trying to improve.

The good news is that the Patriots have only six players scheduled to be unrestricted free agents when the market opens on March 11. Of that group, pass-rusher K'Lavon Chaisson, safety Jaylinn Hawkins and linebacker Jack Gibbens might be the only ones considered to be priorities to re-sign.

Maintaining a playoff-caliber defense will make Maye's job easier.

With $33.2 million in projected cap space, the Patriots should be able to retain their top players while also making additions in free agency. New England should also be able to retain offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, as the coaching carousel has largely stopped spinning.

Retaining McDaniels will be critical for Maye's continued development. While the Patriots had a horrendous offensive outing in Super Bowl LX, McDaniels helped produce Maye's sophomore surge.

"The impact he's made is huge," Maye said of McDaniels, per The Athletic's Chad Graff. "He's such a great coach and a great coach of quarterbacks. He's had a huge impact on my career and my life. His offense is very friendly to quarterbacks that play in it."

Keeping continuity and keeping Maye in a familiar and QB-friendly offense will make it easier for the 23-year-old to work on his weaknesses next season.

Coach Maye Out of Bad Habits

AP Photo

Drake Maye fumbles during Super Bowl LX

Should the Patriots blame their Super Bowl loss entirely on Maye? Of course not. However, he didn't play well and appeared rattled by the big moment.

As he did regularly during the postseason, Maye frequently held the ball too long, taking sacks while trying to find the big play. When he wasn't doing that, he was often rushing his process and failing to find the right timing with his receivers.

Maye was sacked 15 times in New England's first three playoff games, and he fumbled six times, losing three. Against Seattle, he was sacked six times and committed three turnovers.

The habit of trying to play hero ball when things break down has been an issue that has plagued Maye since his college days.

"He has the athleticism, arm talent and baseline processing skills to become a weapon at the next level. All he needs to do is cut out some of the 'doing too much' plays," Derrik Klassen wrote for the Bleacher Report Scouting Department in 2024.

If Vrabel and McDaniels want to see Maye play at his best in the biggest games, they have to stress ball security, continue to grow his presnap recognition skills, and find ways to improve Maye's pocket presence.

Maye simply can continue to be a part of New England's pass-protection problem.

Strengthen the Offensive Line

AP PhotoGreg M. Cooper

Patriots C Garrett Bradbury

Maye regularly made highlight-reel plays with his arm and legs during the regular season, which is why he was an MVP finalist. However, even amid a relatively easy schedule—New England's opponents had a combined .391 winning percentage—Maye was still sacked 47 times.

Some of that is on Maye. Pro Football Focus actually ranked New England's line 11th overall for the 2025 season. However, there's certainly room for improvement, especially considering how many lackluster defenses the Patriots faced during the regular season.

Rookie Will Campbell was inconsistent throughout the season, but the Patriots will probably stick with the promising youngster. However, they should look for upgrades at center, right tackle and left guard.

Rookie third-round pick Jared Wilson ranked 72nd overall among guards, according to Pro Football Focus, while Garrett Brad ranked 30th among centers, per PFF. Right tackle Morgan Moses was solid as a run blocker but ranked 43rd among offensive tackles in pass protection, per PFF.

The Patriots must target free agents like Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum and Indianapolis Colts right tackle Braden Smith. They must also consider draft prospects like Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu and Texas A&M interior lineman Chase Bisontis.

New England's line might not be one of the worst in the league, but it struggled against great defenses in the postseason. It must be better to help the Patriots get back to the Super Bowl in 2026.

Add Another Dependable Pass-Catcher

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Patriots WR Stefon Diggs

The Seahawks regularly overwhelmed the Patriots' offensive line by bringing extra defenders. A better receiving corps wouldn't have helped alleviate the pressure, but it might have given Maye chances to find an open target quickly.

As they did with the offensive line, the Patriots improved one of the league's worst receiving corps this past offseason. Landing Stefon Diggs and giving Maye a legitimate No. 1 receiver was huge.

According to ESPN Analytics, based on NFL Next Gen Stats, Diggs had the highest catch rating and overall rating among receivers in the NFL this past season.

However, Maye lacked consistently reliable targets aside from Diggs. The Patriots ranked fourth in passing offense and got production from players like tight end Hunter Henry and wideout Kayshon Boutte in the regular season, but they had the third-easiest schedule in the past 50 years, according to Douglas Clawson of CBS Sports.

In the postseason, things got much tougher for the Patriots, who averaged just 18 points heading into Super Bowl LX. The Seahawks did an excellent job of taking away Diggs on Sunday, and Maye struggled to identify and connect with open receivers.

Free agents like Colts receiver Alec Pierce, San Francisco 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings and Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts should be on New England's radar. In April, prospects like Washington receiver Denzel Boston, Indiana wideout Omar Cooper Jr., and Michael Trigg should be under consideration, too.

Maye has the potential to be a truly special quarterback, but even stars like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes have fallen short in the playoffs when they don't have adequate protection and a quality receiving corps.

Bolster the Pass Rush

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Patriots edge K'Lavon Chaisson

Having a stout defense will make things easier for Maye. For proof, just look at the Super Bowl champion Seahawks and their run to the Lombardi Trophy.

Quarterback Sam Darnold led the NFL with 20 turnovers during the regular season, but he played a clean three games during the playoffs. Seattle's ability to run the ball consistently and play a smothering brand of defense helped limit his exposure to mistakes because Darnold wasn't regularly asked to carry the team.

The Patriots have two good running backs in Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, yet they got nothing going on the ground against the Seahawks. An improved O-line should add consistency to the rushing attack.

The Patriots' defense did a great job of keeping them in the Super Bowl for a while, but they never forced Darnold into a game-altering mistake. A lackluster pass rush is the only glaring weakness on New England's defense, so bolstering it should be an offseason priority alongside the offensive line and receiving corps.

The Patriots ranked fourth in scoring defense during the regular season but logged a modest 34 sacks. The pass rush was better in the playoffs, with 13 sacks in four games, but the unit is far from elite.

Bringing back Chaisson would be a good first step. New England must also consider free agents like Jaelan Phillips and Trey Hendrickson, along with prospects like Missouri's Zion Young and Illinois' Gabe Jacas.

The Patriots will have a good amount of cap space and a whopping 11 draft picks this offseason, and their top overall goal is clear. New England must better support Maye, continue his growth as a signal-caller, and reduce the number of mistakes he makes in 2026—a season that will bring a much tougher schedule.

With a more complete roster and a more efficient quarterback, New England might just find itself with a seventh Lombardi Trophy roughly one year from now.