Counting Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks on NBC on Sunday, veteran NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth has called six Super Bowls in his broadcasting career. The previous five have given him a chance to watch some of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, as Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, and Eli Manning perform on the biggest stage.
The first-half showing from 23-year-old Patriots quarterback Drake Maye at Levi's Stadium on Sunday was not in that category. Playing in his first Super Bowl, Maye had an uninspiring first-half stat line. He completed 6 of 11 passes for 48 yards and no touchdowns, and he was sacked three times.
New England only had 51 total yards of offense, four first downs, and trailed 9-0 when Bad Bunny took the stage for the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show.
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When they returned for the second half broadcast, Collinsworth was asked by NBC play-by-play commentator Mike Tirico for his thoughts on the first two quarters. Collinsworth did not hold back on Maye.
"It’s too much right now for Drake Maye," Collinsworth said bluntly.
The three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver was harsh on Maye, but he did not place all the blame on the young quarterback. He also mentioned the struggles by Maye's offensive line against Seattle's "Dark Side" defense, which he praised as the best in the NFL during the broadcast.
"(The Seahawks are) disguising the coverages really well," Collinsworth added. "They’re making late moves to get into what they’re actually playing. But it’s really hard for that young QB to pay attention to that because he’s under so much pressure.”
The numbers confirmed what Collinsworth and NFL fans around the world saw with their eyes. Maye was pressured on 53 percent of his first-half dropbacks in the first half and the Patriots totaled minus-23 yards on those plays, per ESPN's Brady Henderson.
Things did not get better in the second half. After an incompletion from Maye in the third quarter that led to the Patriots' eighth punt of the game, Collinsworth called him out for missing a "relatively easy" throw — again due to Seattle's overwhelming pressure.
"He’s getting pushed off his mark, the timing has not been there all night, and when it has been, they’ve missed," Collinsworth said.
Maye threw two touchdown passes and racked up garbage time yards in the second half, but also turned the ball over three times (two interceptions, one fumble) en route to a 29-13 loss. He completed 27 of 43 passes for 295 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also had five carries for 37 yards and was sacked six times.
Maye's second NFL season ended in disappointing fashion. But for all the criticism he will face, from Collinsworth and others, the other takeaway from Sunday was that he was overmatched against a Seattle team that was just that good.