I apologize in advance for all the New Englanders, but it has been two days since the Patriots faced a devastating loss in the Super Bowl. Despite a record-breaking season, and honorable performances from many players across each game, the Patriots could not take home the Lombardi trophy this year. However, when it comes to football, you cannot sit and sulk for too long–the next season comes faster than we know it.
After years of being one of the lowest teams in the league, and six years since a Super Bowl appearance, the Patriots shocked the nation this season. Taking over a team that has dominated the league for decades and has been home to football legends such as Tom Brady cannot be easy for the new kids on the block, but they have stepped up to the plate. Drake Maye, the 23 year-old quarterback led the Patriots to this year’s Super Bowl. Even though the scoreboard was not in their favor, New England deserves a round of applause for beating the odds.
Online discourse surrounds every single football game once the buzzer goes off. When that game is the Super Bowl, individuals online are much harsher than normal. Looking at the postgame stats, it was one of Maye’s worst performances of his career. He had three turnovers, six sacks, and ten missed throws throughout the game. Many argue he did not play like himself for the first three quarters, which in turn led to them losing the game. His performance has been labelled as ‘shaky.’
However, Maye did end up playing a fourth quarter that resembled the player we have known and loved all season. In just the final fifteen minutes alone, he had 235 passing yards–breaking the previous record for most passing yards in one quarter of a Super Bowl. Maye has potential, we have all seen that, but some need to remember he is only 23 years old, and this is only his second season playing in the NFL.
The Patriots are a rebuilding team, many of their players have not been together long or have not even been in the NFL for a very long time. There are many players besides Maye in their early twenties, such as Will Campbell, 22, and Christian Gonzalez, 23. Even though they are younger players on both the team and in the NFL, they have shown great potential to have legendary careers.
New England will be busy this offseason. With recovering from the loss and rebuilding, the players will be booked and busy ensuring next season can be even better than this one. Making it to the Super Bowl with the odds against them is a win in itself, even if New England fans have been crying for the last few days. Wipe the tears! We have seen the Patriots lose before, but we have seen them win time and time again.
