The Patriots aren’t playing in their NFL-record 12th Super Bowl because Maye has been cooking throughout the postseason. They’re the AFC champions today because he’s developed a knack for making the right play when it matters most. New England beat Denver on Sunday with Maye completing 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards and no touchdowns. He’s now been sacked 15 times in the postseason — the Broncos became the third team in these playoffs to take him down five times — and he’s committed five turnovers. It says plenty about Maye that those struggles haven’t kept him from delivering in the clutch moments. His 65 rushing yards against Denver included the game’s only touchdown, as well as a 7-yard run that gave New England the first down that clinched the win in the final two minutes. Maye also ran for 66 yards in a wild-card win over the Chargers after he started slowly in the first half of that contest. This is nothing new for Maye, whose 450 rushing yards in the regular season ranked fourth-highest among quarterbacks. The problem is the Patriots aren’t winning a seventh Super Bowl against a defense as stingy as Seattle’s unit with him doing a Michael Vick impression. Maye became a finalist for this year’s Most Valuable Player award because he terrorized opponents with his arm and his mobility. The man led the league in passer rating (113.5) and completion percentage (72 percent) while throwing for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. There’s no way any sane Patriots fan would’ve felt confident with this team advancing this far without him playing close to that level. Sure, weather has played a role in those struggles, as it did when flurries and chillier temperatures appeared in the second half on Sunday. Three straight games against stellar defenses also have been part of Maye’s issues. The good news is the Patriots have found ways to win without their best player delivering his best effort. The bad news is they’ll need a better formula when facing Seattle in a couple weeks.
