The Seattle Seahawks defense has been one of the top units in football all year, and is a big reason why the team will be playing for the Super Bowl on Sunday. Like every defense, however, it is not without its weak points.
One of them aligns perfectly with what New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye does well: scramble plays.
For as physical and quick as the Seahawks are in pursuit, their aggressiveness up front — line games are their bread and butter — can create some openings. For a player
of Maye’s caliber, that is an invitation.
It is something, the second-year quarterback has done on multiple occasions this season, and particularly in the playoffs: he has been one of the most efficient players in the tournament as a runner, regardless of position. The numbers illustrate this.
Unsurprisingly, Maye escaping the pocket and making plays with his legs could be a big part of Sunday’s game script. The Seahawks’ vaunted defense, after all, allowed the fifth-most explosive runs — i.e. carries of 10-plus yards — in the league on scrambles this seasson.
However, as the 23-year-old pointed out on Thursday, scramble drills are not necessarily something that can be planned before the game. Instead, he said that they happen instinctively and that he will stick to the rules he and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels have established.
“Try to remain a passer for as long as I can,” Maye explained. “On film, it’s tough to pinpoint, ‘Hey, I can maybe use my legs this week.’ It’s kind of something that just comes naturally. That’s the biggest thing for me when I’m back there in the pocket. If I feel like something’s there, I go try to take it and try to play instinctive. That’s what we always say in the offensive room: try to play with instincts and try not to think too much.
“So, I try not to predetermine or say, ‘Hey, I’m going to take off and run on this one.’ If I feel like there’s a chance for me to make some yards, I’m going to go and try to make them. Then from there, just got to be protecting myself, but I try to remain a passer for as long as I can because those guys are open. Even when they’re not open, they make plays on the football. So, they’ve got a chance to run a lot farther than I can.”
