It’s doubtful that any NFL fan thought the Patriots loss to Seattle in the season opener was a good game. Even for Pats fans it felt like a slog early on. Then it felt worse.
Yes, the loss was bad football, especially in the fourth quarter. No, it does not mean that Drake Maye is a fraud and incapable of being the player that he’s already shown to be.
The same people who had their megaphones out for Joe Milton and Bailey Zappe are resurfacing from their basements, because the reactions to Maye’s performance and the Patriots loss to Seattle have gone full hyperbolic.
Not even a year has passed, and people have quickly forgotten about Maye’s heroics in Buffalo on Sunday Night Football that helped lead the team to an improbable upset in hostile Orchard Park (the Bills were favored -7.5).
That night was decidedly when the young QB announced himself as a budding star in the league to a national audience, and he continued to play that way throughout the season.
Maye had a total EPA of 145.61 in 2025 — the highest of all qualifying quarterbacks and ~40 points higher than the next ranked QB. He also had the highest EPA per play among QBs with more than 76 plays (Maye had 642 plays). Whatever went wrong in this Patriots loss to Seattle, it doesn’t merit doubts about Maye’s clutch gene.
Maye has added a ton of scoring potential to the Patriots offense, and this Patriots loss to Seattle doesn’t negate that. If anything, it should be a reminder of just how good of a situation the Patriots are in to begin with.
Nobody outside of New England (and very few within) had the Patriots in the Super Bowl last year. After a grinding season under Jerod Mayo, the goal for Pats Nation was to start rebuilding, right the ship, play competitive football, and maybe — just maybe — come away with a record above .500.
That would have been enough, but instead, fans of the most successful sports franchise this century were treated to yet another trip back to the big time. When in doubt, remember: Drake Maye was the QB for that serendipitous run.
In those same playoffs, Josh Allen infamously committed four turnovers that led to a loss to the Broncos. Trevor Lawrence threw two interceptions in a loss to the Bills, one of which happened late on a game-winning drive opportunity. Nobody is catastrophizing their future. In fact, Josh Allen’s Bills have the second highest odds to win the Super Bowl this season.
Lucky for Patriots fans, a Week One loss — albeit it in primetime — is not a playoff loss.
Bad games happen. Turnovers happen. That’s especially true in Week One of the NFL and with young quarterbacks. It’s certainly true in this tough Patriots loss to Seattle. Pats fans were graced with the unrivaled poise and laser-focused decision-making of Tom Brady for over 20 years. Now, they live with the curse of yearning to fill those unreachable expectations.
Gentle reminder that the Patriots lost to the disastrous 3-14 Raiders in Week One a year ago, which fans handled much better because they weren’t expecting anything. That team turned out alright in the end. At least in this Patriots loss to Seattle, the team was playing a very serious defense. It’s OK to grieve the loss; just try to stay grounded, folks.
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