What Josh McDaniels Told Drake Maye To Seal Patriots’ AFC Championship
The New England Patriots are going to the Super Bowl, and contrary to what many of their critics have been saying this year, it wasn’t easy.
While their regularseason schedule was historically soft, the Patriots had to go through three top-five defenses in the playoffs. No other team since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 has ever done that.
What’s more, New England had to win three outdoor games in winter conditions, which got progressively worse throughout January. By the second half of the AFC title game against the Denver Broncos, the Patriots were basically playing in a blizzard.
The elements, tough defenses and pressure seemed to get to Drake Maye a bit, whose performance suffered in the postseason compared to his MVP-caliber regular season. These were the first true challenges of his career in just his second NFL season and first postseason run, and he was learning the hard way.
“Hey, it’s hard,” he told New England’s offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game as snow rained down on them in Denver.
McDaniels, who’s in his 19th season with the Patriots coaching staff, is well aware. He’s been part of countless playoff games in tough conditions and is going to his ninth Super Bowl.
Fortunately for New England, he was able to help calm Maye down and give him some wise advice.
“I know,” McDaniels said, laughing. “Listen to me. Look at me. It’s gonna be hard, but look, this will be the most rewarding six and a half minutes of our lives if we can get it done.”
Maye took those words to heart, buckling down and finishing the job himself. He sealed the Patriots’ 10-7 win by running through the snow for a first down after the two-minute warning, punching their tickets to the Super Bowl.