Drake Maye has looked absolutely lost when facing our beloved Seahawks, throwing a shocking five interceptions across two recent games, and it is a major problem for the New England Patriots right now. This Sunday, he faces a Steelers defense that is coming off a dominant Week 1 performance.
Maye’s Seahawk Nightmares
You heard that right. Maye threw a pair of interceptions in his team’s February Super Bowl loss and then followed that up with three more picks, including an absolutely inexcusable one in the closing moments, during their Week 1 loss to the Seahawks. That kind of turnover trouble, especially against *our* guys, has definitely rekindled old questions about his ability. It feels like a lifetime ago that Maye was even getting MVP consideration last season after throwing 31 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Now, the Patriots are still searching for their first win of the season after that close game against Seattle. And what does he get this week? A Steelers defense that held their Week 1 opponent to just 118 passing yards, grabbed two interceptions, including a T.J. Watt pick-six, and racked up four sacks. This is going to be a brutal test for Maye, and frankly, for the entire New England offense.
Old Foes, New Stakes
While you wouldn’t call them traditional rivals, the Steelers and Patriots have definitely been notable adversaries for the last 30 years. These two perennial contenders met five times in the postseason from 1996 to 2016, with the Patriots winning four of those matchups. Remember Halloween 2004, though? The Steelers delivered an historic loss, ending New England’s record 21 straight wins. Fast forward to today, the Steelers are hoping to move to a 2-0 start after Mike McCarthy’s debut 20-13 win over the Falcons. Meanwhile, the Patriots are still chasing their first win after that frustrating loss in Seattle. You don’t have to look far back to see how these teams clash: in Week 3 of the 2025 season, the Steelers rolled into New England and left with a 21-14 win. Pittsburgh forced five turnovers in that game, and Maye accounted for two of them, including one near the Patriots’ 2-yard line. The Steelers capitalized, scoring two of their three touchdowns directly off those turnovers, managing the win despite their offense gaining a mere 203 total yards. Aaron Rodgers completed 16 of 23 passes for just 139 yards, and Pittsburgh’s running game could only muster 64 yards on 26 carries. The defense absolutely carried them then, and it looks like they’ll need to again.
This Sunday, September 30, at 1 p.m. ET, it all goes down at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots are currently favored by 4.5 points, with an over/under of 41.5 points. Will Drake Maye finally get it together, or will the Steelers defense make him regret another Sunday? We know how much Maye struggles against a tough defense, especially one that just beat *our* Seahawks. We’ll be watching to see if those questions about his ability just get louder.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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