The Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl 60 win over the New England Patriots was not as close as the box score and 29-13 final tally would indicate, as MVP runner-up Drake Maye was held scoreless through the first three quarters thanks to a dominant performance from the "Dark Side" defense.
Maye did throw for just under 300 yards and two touchdowns, but 235 of those yards came down by multiple scores in the fourth quarter. On Maye's first eight drives of the game, the Patriots punted eight times, and Maye had just seven completed passes.
Colin Cowherd was dancing on Maye's grave during his Monday show, saying that he looked "completely overwhelmed" by the moment and the prospect of facing the Seattle defense. Cowherd also used this game as proof that voting Maye as the MVP over Matthew Stafford was ridiculous.
Cowherd noted that Stafford managed to rip up the Seahawks' defense at a more efficient clip than any other quarterback in the league, while Maye put together the worst game of his professional career on the biggest stage. Even the biggest Seattle fan could not have expected a bludgeoning like this.
Colin Cowherd calls Drake Maye "overwhelmed" after Seahawks' domination in Super Bowl 60
Maye, who was tagged as "nervous" and "rattled" by Cowherd, turned the ball over three times in this game. After losing the ball on a strip-sack, Maye was picked off on the worst throw he has made all year long before pressure from Devon Witherspoon led to a Uchenna Nwosu pick-six to stick the dagger in New England's chances.
Cowherd's criticism of New England as a worthy opponent for the Seahawks was lined with praise, saying that they are a young team that is destined to improve. However, he did note that if Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix played in the AFC Championship, he'd like;y be talking about a Seattle-Denver Super Bowl.
This game was the national coming-out for this defense, as the nation got to see that Nick Emmanwori and Witherspoon are two of the best young defensive backs in the league, DeMarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams can still get it done, and Mike Macdonald is as good as it gets as a defensive mind.
Maye is not the first quarterback to go from an MVP candidate to someone putting together a bench-worthy performance against the Seahawks defense, and he isn't going to be the last.