The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the New England Patriots in a thrilling last second contest. Quarterback Drake Maye was on the run most of the night. The contest, played at Heinz Field, eventually finished in a dramatic 21-14 Super Bowl victory for the Steelers. Maye suffered a huge, inexplicable blow in the first half on account of one head-scrling sequence. This all set alarm bells ringing about his capacity to mount a serious challenge.
With just 16 seconds remaining in the first half, Maye went back to pass on a second-and-goal play. The Steelers’ defense created hellacious pressure on him. He was the target of a vicious hit on one play, where he was knocked down hard to the turf. Right away, he started grabbing at his head, obviously hurt. This moment of angst prepared the way for the storm to come. Maye’s path was brutal as she attempted to do the rest of the game.
Pressure and Performance
The Steelers’ defense was a tough challenge, putting nearly 39% pressures on Maye’s dropbacks. Due to this constant barrage, he was pressured enough to be sacked five times over the course of the game. His struggles were apparent, as he only went 4-of-7 for just 21 yards when pressured. The other team’s defense generated heavy pressure, knocking him out of his groove. It led to key errors including that fumble which was the day’s fifth Patriots’ turnover.
On the next play after Maye hit his head, he threw an interception. While we know correlation is not causation, observers were quick to point out that his health may have played a critical role in his decision-making and the final product. Or perhaps, as the game wore on, he just lost effectiveness. This immediately begged the question of if he should have even been in the game at that time.
Turnovers and Team Dynamics
The Patriots wiretapped their ball security all night, but Maye’s fumble made an impossible task that much harder. The squad tallied a dismal five turnovers that derailed any chance of them being able to stay competitive with the Steelers. Each turnover not only shifted the momentum but added more pressure on Maye to deliver under more and more dire circumstances.
In fact, the Steelers usually rebooted those two errors into Blessing Scoring Opportunities enough to win in an almost scare manner. Their defense was all over him, nightmarishly pressuring Maye all game long. All this pressure forced him to throw early and make killing mistakes.
Questions About Readiness
As discussions surrounding the game unfold, questions arise about Drake Maye’s fitness to play and whether he should have been on the field following the incident. His potential availability would have added a different wrinkle to an already tough matchup. Scouts, coaches and NFL analysts are still furiously arguing about whether he should be in the game’s most important moments. They question what decisions might have been made differently.
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