The Green Bay Packers defense absolutely stomped the New England Patriots this past weekend. They didn’t just win, they actively picked apart rookie quarterback Drake Maye, snagging three interceptions from him. It started fast too, with them picking off his very first pass of the game.
The Early Interception That Set The Tone
Maye’s struggles kicked off early in the first quarter, 14:32 remaining on a 2nd & 9. The Patriots rolled out in a 12 personnel look (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR), appearing balanced with a 2×2 formation. Before the snap, a tight end went in motion under the formation. Then, Maye, playing out of a half-boot look, executed a play fake away from that motion. The Packers were initially showing a single-high safety with Xavier McKinney, and they stuck with that look. This is a crucial detail, as SumerSports notes the Packers only rotate their safeties after the snap on 39.6% of their plays, which is the fourth highest in the league. This time, they stayed in what looked like Cover 3.
The Patriots had Kyle Williams running a deep post from the left, with Mack Hollins on a deep crosser. McKinney looked like he was initially covering Williams on the post. But as Maye climbed the pocket, McKinney broke off to cover Hollins on the crosser. The Packers’ second level of defense dropped incredibly deep, making the throw to Hollins a real challenge. Evan Williams was sitting right where Maye wanted to go with the ball. Maye climbed the pocket, perhaps trying to pull defenders away, but when he threw across the field, McKinney was right there waiting for it. McKinney took it 36 yards, setting up the Packers at the Patriots’ 14 yard line. Two plays later, Jordan Love scrambled in for a touchdown, making it 7-0. Talk about a statement opening drive!
Packers’ Pre-Snap Deception Leaves Maye Guessing
The second interception came in the second quarter, 12:54 remaining on a 1st & 10. This time, the Patriots were in 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) in a 3×1 formation. Kyle Williams was isolated on the left. The Patriots had a concept on the right for Maye to work, or he could take Williams on a vertical route if he liked that matchup. The Packers were showing press coverage on the outside, with their safeties pulled up tight to the line. Evan Williams was the safety on the single receiver side. Right before the snap, Williams started to bail to the middle. This looked like man-to-man coverage, with the safety bailing away from the single receiver side. Maye probably thought this left Kyle Williams in man coverage against Brandon Cisse with no safety help, a matchup he clearly liked.
Here’s where the Packers’ brilliant deception truly paid off. Maye believed he caught the Packers tipping their hand with Evan Williams bailing early. But what Maye thought was a single-high rotation quickly transformed into a two-high look right at the snap. Evan Williams, who appeared to be bailing to the middle, instead dropped wide as soon as the ball was snapped, with Javon Bullard [7].
The Packers defense clearly came to play, making life miserable for Drake Maye and the Patriots offense. They didn’t just get lucky picks; they deployed smart schemes and disciplined coverage that created opportunities and capitalized on them. We saw their single-high looks, their deep drops, and that insane pre-snap deception. The level of tactical brilliance from this defense is something to watch going forward.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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