Drake Maye singled out one clear adjustment he would have made after the New England Patriots fell 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX: get Stefon Diggs more involved. When asked if he would change anything from the loss, Maye paused before pointing to Diggs, who finished with just 37 yards on three targets and seemed underused throughout the game.
Maye praised Diggs’ impact this season and said he wished the veteran receiver had more opportunities. It was notable that six different Patriots players saw more targets than Diggs, despite him leading the team in the regular season by wide margins—25 more catches and 245 more receiving yards than the next closest teammate. Diggs also played far fewer offensive snaps (45%) than Kay’Shon Boot (73%) and Mack Hollins (72%); Hollins absorbed a team-high eight hits.
Diggs didn’t get his first look until nearly 25 minutes into the game—a 5-yard catch with 10:02 left in the second quarter. His next meaningful play came in the closing minutes, a 26-yard reception that set up Maye’s short TD throw to Lamondre Stephenson; his third and final catch arrived on the Patriots’ last drive. Meanwhile, Seattle got an MVP-caliber effort from Kenneth Walker, while New England’s top offensive weapons—including Maye, Diggs and rookie running back Treveillon Henderson—failed to make the same impact. Henderson, who amassed 911 rushing yards and 1,132 all-purpose yards in the regular season, was largely absent in the postseason.
If Maye and the Patriots return to the Super Bowl, he indicated he’ll be more deliberate about involving his primary playmakers. Speaking about Diggs, Maye said the 32-year-old still has plenty to offer, plans to use the offseason to sharpen his skills, and that Maye is eager to get him more targets next time around.
Fan Take: This matters because how a team deploys its veteran playmakers in the biggest game reveals coaching and game-plan priorities—fans want to see star players used to their strengths. If teams increasingly reevaluate target distribution in championship games, it could push offenses to be more dynamic and better tailored to their top weapons going forward.
