Even though we're living in the most offense-driven era in football history, the adage is still true: Defense wins championships. Considering that, it's not a coincidence to see two top-five scoring defenses facing off in the Super Bowl.
The Seattle Seahawks, however, clearly have an edge on that side of the field. It goes way beyond giving up the fewest points per game in the league this season (17.2); it's also about their ability to disrupt opposing passers.
That spells trouble for Drake Maye, who has taken way too many hits this season behind a rookie left tackle. The Seahawks have a plethora of headhunters on defense, and they're on a tie of their own when it comes to going after the quarterback.
The Seattle Seahawks' pass rush will bruise Patriots' Drake Maye
As pointed out by NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno, the Seahawks are the only team to have at least five players with 12+ QB hits each during the season. Conversely, Drake Maye has been hit the eighth-most in the league.
With just one game left to play this season, Leonard Williams (22) and DeMarcus Lawrence (20) top the list with more than 20 apiece. However, Uchenna Nwosu (15), Byron Murphy II (13), and Derick Hall (13) have also been special.
Maye has been great in his second year in the league, but not so much in the playoffs. He's also not as efficient when he's pressured and not facing a blitz. Head coach Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde will certainly have a couple of surprises in store for him in the biggest game of his career.
The Patriots haven't gotten consistent play from rookie first-round pick Will Campbell, and they will probably look to expose him early and often in the Super Bowl. Maye has been sacked 47 times for a loss of 201 yards, and even though he's mobile and can escape collapsed pockets with ease, his shoulder injury might linger and force him to be a little more one-dimensional.
The Seahawks may not have Myles Garrett or any player with double digits in sacks, but sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Anybody can make a play on this defense, and that's the beauty of that unit. There are just way too many weapons, and not even a great team like the Patriots will have enough resources to keep everybody in check.