NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth was stunned into silence for 56 seconds following a critical late-game interception by New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. The costly pick sealed a 13-10 defeat for the Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night.
With 26 seconds remaining in the game and the Patriots trailing 13-10 on 3rd-and-5, Maye, under pressure, threw a pass intended for wide receiver Mack Hollins down the right sideline. Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe made a toe-tapping interception in the end zone, a play confirmed in bounds after officials reviewed it.
"A pick! A terrible decision!" play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico exclaimed. "Josh Jobe. One. Two [in counting his feet on the replay]. Ball game."
Collinsworth, after a nearly minute-long pause, commented, "I can’t believe that throw… Wow. I mean, there are certain things you just can’t do or try when you have field goal range and overtime in your grasp. And that was the play — off his back foot and fading away and didn’t get it. Out of bounds. Ouch."
This marked a difficult start to Maye's third NFL season. The 24-year-old quarterback threw three interceptions in the game. His only previous game with multiple interceptions last season occurred during the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks in February, where he threw two picks.
During the Super Bowl rematch on Thursday, the Patriots held a 10-0 lead in the second half. However, the Seahawks, led by backup quarterback Drew Lock, scored 13 unanswered points, including a 45-yard touchdown pass to Jaxson Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks' offense capitalized on three consecutive fourth-quarter interceptions by Maye, which led to their scoring opportunities.
In Week 2, the Patriots are scheduled to play the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 20. The Seahawks will travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals.