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The New England Patriots are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2019, set to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco.
For much of the past two decades, any conversation about the Patriots has quickly turned to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick — and for good reason. The duo won six Super Bowls together over a 20-year run that defined an era in New England.
This time around, though, the Patriots are led by first-year head coach Mike Vrabel and second-year quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Maye has put together an MVP-caliber season and is a finalist for the award heading into Thursday night’s NFL Honors, but his focus remains on bringing another Lombardi Trophy to New England. In the process, he’s on the verge of making history.
According to CBS Sports’ Doug Clawson, Maye could become the first quarterback since Brady in 2001 — 25 years ago — to win a Super Bowl in the same season as his first career playoff start.
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During the regular season, Maye completed 72.0% of his passes for 4,394 yards, 35 total touchdowns and just eight interceptions.
The Patriots have relied heavily on their defense throughout their postseason run, but when needed, Maye has delivered with big-time plays — something he’s done all season.
He’ll need to do it one more time against what is debatably his toughest defensive test yet in Seattle, a unit that has allowed the second-fewest touchdowns to opposing offenses this season.
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