{"id":435689,"date":"2026-01-27T04:17:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T04:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/435689\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T04:17:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T04:17:08","slug":"drake-mayes-journey-to-super-bowl-includes-beating-top-nfl-defenses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/435689\/","title":{"rendered":"Drake Maye’s journey to Super Bowl includes beating top NFL defenses"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NFL season<\/a> is quickly coming to a close, with the Super Bowl on February 8 deciding this year’s champion. Four former Tar Heels<\/a> will have a chance at pro football immortality, including one NFL MVP contender.<\/p>\n

Drake Maye<\/a>, who starred at UNC from 2021-2023, is quarterbacking the New England Patriots<\/a> to their first Super Bowl appearance since 2019. The Patriots won a 10-7, snow-altered AFC Championship over the Denver Broncos<\/a> on Sunday, with Maye scoring his team’s lone touchdown.<\/p>\n

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Maye’s path to his first Super Bowl appearance was anything but easy, despite what you hear from the Instagram comment sections. Maye helped New England beat a trio of Top Five defenses in the Los Angeles Chargers<\/a> (fifth), Houston Texans<\/a> (first) and Denver (second).<\/p>\n

Maye’s highest yardage total came in a 16-3 win over Los Angeles during Wild Card Weekend<\/a>, when he completed 17-of-29 passes for 268 yards, a touchdown and just one interception, while adding 66 rushing yards on 10 carries.<\/p>\n

The following week on January 18, Maye anchored a 28-16 win over the Texans with his three touchdown passes. Maye totaled just 151 scrimmage yards on Sunday in the Mile High city, but scored the Patriots’ lone touchdown. Maye later closed the game on a first down bootleg, which set off a wave of celebrations in Patriot Nation.<\/p>\n

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Maye’s next challenge, the Seattle Seahawks<\/a>, will be his greatest. Seattle’s sixth-ranked defense brings endless pressure, has young stars in its secondary like Devon Witherspoon and a penchant for forcing turnovers.<\/p>\n

Can Maye end his “Sophomore” NFL season<\/a> with a childhood dream?<\/p>\n

Follow us\u00a0@TarHeelsWire<\/a>\u00a0on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on.\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina\u00a0Tar Heels<\/a>\u00a0news, notes and opinions.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Drake Maye makes NFL Playoff History in path to first Super Bowl<\/a><\/p>\n