In Year 1 of head coach Mike Vrabel, and Year 2 of quarterback Drake Maye, the New England Patriots came within four quarters of winning a Super Bowl.
There's not just one singular reason the team fell 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, but the underwhelming performance of the offense was certainly one of them.
Sure, Maye threw for 295 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, but 141 of those yards and one touchdown came in garbage time in the fourth quarter when the game was all but decided.
Mack Hollins, who logged four catches, 78 yards, and one score, was the team's leading receiver as Stefon Diggs, who caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season, was limited to just three catches for 37 yards.
Tight end Hunter Henry, who led the team with seven touchdowns in the regular season, was also limited to just three catches for 31 yards - and some feel if Maye had more help, things might have played out differently.
Former Washington Commanders QB Robert Griffin III is among that group, and he recently urged the Pats to pursue one of the top deep-ball threats in the NFL, when healthy.
"The New England Patriots need to sign Tyreek Hill," Griffin III wrote on X. "Drake Maye was the best deep ball thrower in football this year. If Tyreek Hill gets back to 90% of what he was, the Patriots get a massive mismatch chess piece on their board."
Hill, 31, is coming off the worst season of his NFL career.
He played in just four games - totaling 21 catches, 265 yards, and a touchdown - before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
The eight-time Pro Bowler could miss the start of next season while recovering from his injury, but if he can return and keep most of his 4.29 speed, he could be an intriguing option for many teams, including New England.
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