FOXBORO — Drake Maye and Josh McDaniels sat on the Patriots bench throughout final Sunday’s AFC Championship Game win over the Broncos, mentally tasked and bodily blinded by snow whipping into their faces.
Maye turned to McDaniels, shook his head, and stated, “It’s arduous, good God,” earlier than his offensive coordinator comforted him in a second that’s now gone viral from the Patriots’ mic’d up section within the 10-7 win.
Drake Maye: “It is arduous… Good God”
Josh McDaniels: “Take a look at me, it is gonna be arduous, however look, this would be the most rewarding 6 1/2 minutes of our lives if we will get it accomplished.” 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
The vulnerability right here… holy moly man.
🎥: @Patriots pic.twitter.com/CyoaTUQpti
— Michael Rodnick (@MJRodnick) January 28, 2026
McDaniels opened up about that second with the Herald.
“It was one sport within the first half, after which within the second half, particularly towards the tip of the third quarter and into the fourth, it grew to become like virtually a wholly new occasion,” McDaniels stated. “As a result of the wind, the snow, the sector was horrible, by way of, lined with snow, and footing was unimaginable. And so there have been simply so many issues that I might say modified. And, I feel what he was remarking about was identical to, ‘Wow, we haven’t actually handled something like this all yr by way of not only a good crew, which they have been, but in addition all this different stuff additionally. And so I assumed he was nice by way of being sincere.
“After which I used to be simply making an attempt to say, ‘Hey, look, I don’t know what we’re going to want to do to complete it out, however no matter we have to do right here, whether or not that was in the event that they tied it at 10 and we wanted to go down and rating. Or in the event that they didn’t tie it at 10, and we wanted to attempt to run the clock out, simply, ‘Hey, look, that is going to be essentially the most rewarding time of our life if we will get this accomplished.’ And simply making an attempt to offer him some reassurance that, ‘Look, I’m in it with you.’
“We’re all battling by means of it, and no one greater than him. However he wasn’t in any manner, form or type, saying it was too arduous. He was simply saying, ‘Holy cow,’ I imply, virtually like an actual human second. Are we one another and actually coping with this? We’re squinting on the sideline as a result of the snow is hitting us within the face. It was form of a kind of moments the place you’re like, ‘I can’t imagine that is occurring.’ The child’s superior. He’s extremely humble and desires nothing greater than to assist our crew win. And I assumed it was a cool second to be concerned in, to additionally see him then pull it up and pull it out and do what he wanted to do to win.”
Maye additionally gave his recollection of the second, although he stated Thursday that he doesn’t actually like watching himself mic’d up.
“I feel whenever you’re taking part in in 10-degree climate with snow hitting your face, we’re slipping within the backfield and simply — I feel all the weather, mixed with taking part in in opposition to an excellent protection, I feel it’s powerful,” Maye stated. “I feel the weather made it powerful, and I feel each side would agree.
“So, simply attempt to end the sport out. With how nicely our protection was taking part in, we wished to assist them out just a little bit. We have been capable of get that final first all the way down to not have to offer it again to them, however actually, simply the issue of making an attempt to do our half within the climate and the 30 mph winds the place it’s powerful to throw it. Simply strive to determine one thing to attempt to pull our crew to have an edge or to win. I feel our protection actually did that each one day, and we have been simply making an attempt to do a small factor to make up for it.”
Maye and McDaniels have shaped a powerful partnership this season, their first along with the Patriots. The unit ranked second in scoring and third in whole offense this season and is now days away from competing in Super Bowl LX in opposition to the Seahawks.
Maye needed to study a brand new system underneath a brand new coordinator in simply his second season within the league. And issues didn’t all the time look fairly throughout OTAs and coaching camp, however Maye requested the correct questions, picked up the offense and was an MVP candidate this season.
“There was a second earlier than coaching camp even began, the place we had been away from one another for the reason that finish of OTAs, and he came to visit to my home, and we have been speaking by means of the coaching camp set up. And it simply felt completely different,” McDaniels stated. “It felt like, ‘Okay, now we’re on the identical web page.’ And I’ve all the time instructed him, like, you inform me what you like, inform me what you hate. We’ll cross out the stuff you hate, we’ll do the stuff you love extra. And he was actually sincere, and it was nice. I felt prefer it was actually an vital a part of it, to not over dramatize it, however I simply suppose it was such a course of for us. Me attending to know him, him attending to know me, us attending to know soccer collectively differently. It took just a little time, but it surely was a enjoyable journey.”
Maye took a large leap in 12 months 2 and was an MVP candidate underneath McDaniels, finishing 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards with 31 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions whereas additionally dashing 103 instances for 450 yards with 4 touchdowns.
All the Patriots’ offense might want to play higher than they’ve this postseason on Sunday to beat the Seahawks in Tremendous Bowl LX. The Patriots have crushed three top-five defenses within the playoffs, toppling the Chargers, Texans and Broncos, however Maye has proven some struggles, fumbling six instances and throwing two interceptions whereas finishing 55.8% of his passes for 533 yards.
Extra importantly, nonetheless, the Patriots have three playoff wins they usually search their fourth.
