"This Drake Maye tape is worse than I thought": Ex-Packers QB claims Patriots QB was "seeing ghosts" vs. Seahawks in Super Bowl

Santa Clara, California  

What unfolded on the biggest stage of the NFL season didn’t just leave Drake Maye and the New England Patriots stunned by the Seattle Seahawks’ dominant 29–13 Super Bowl LX loss — it also opened the floodgates for harsh film-room criticism from former pros who saw deeper issues in Maye’s performance.

This Drake Maye tape is worse than I thought. There were wide open guys everywhere even when he had time he just wasn’t seeing it.

It was the definition of seeing ghosts game.

— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) February 9, 2026

One of the most blunt assessments came from former Green Bay Packers signal-caller Kurt Benkert, who took to social media Monday to describe Maye’s tape from the title game as “worse than I thought.” Benkert’s critique — that the Patriots’ second-year quarterback was essentially “seeing ghosts” in Seattle’s pressure package — ignited debate among analysts and fans alike.

“This Drake Maye tape is worse than I thought — there were wide open guys everywhere, even when he had time he just wasn’t seeing it. It was the definition of a seeing-ghosts game,” Benkert tweeted Monday, summing up his view of how Maye handled the Seahawks’ relentless defensive front.

Benkert’s comments reflect a broader theme emerging from film study of Super Bowl LX: Seattle’s defense didn’t just pressure Maye — they confused him. Play after play, the Seahawks racked up pressure, getting home for six sacks and forcing three turnovers, dramatically limiting New England’s ability to establish consistency through the air.

But not all former quarterbacks were ready to go that far. NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner responded to Benkert’s take by pushing back on the “wide open guys” narrative, arguing that while Maye struggled, the assessment overstates what he saw on tape. Warner reminded viewers that interpreting film isn’t always black and white — especially against an elite defense.

The public exchange underscores just how swift the narrative shifted around Maye in the hours after Super Bowl LX. Just months earlier, the former No. 3 overall pick had taken the Patriots — a franchise in transformation — to a 14-3 regular-season record and deep into MVP conversations, finishing second in league MVP voting.

But Seattle’s defensive mastery exposed some of Maye’s rough edges. According to criticism and film breakdowns, Maye’s struggles weren’t simply the result of pressure — they reflected hesitancy and misreads against complex coverages that left receivers open and opportunities unexploited.

Still, defenders of the young quarterback point out that Maye was playing with a nagging shoulder issue — even receiving a pain-killing injection before the game — and that such physical limitations can affect decision making and timing.

As the Patriots pivot toward the offseason, the conversation around Maye remains unresolved: was this a one-off Super Bowl nightmare, or a revealing glimpse into limitations that opposing defenses can exploit? For New England and their fans, the answer will shape how they rebuild around the 23-year-old signal-caller