Every call is magnified in the Super Bowl, and this time, the spotlight is not kind to the New England Patriots. As the Patriots walked off the biggest night of the season, the postgame conversation quickly shifted from execution to intent. Did New England play not to lose instead of playing to win?
That question has followed Josh McDaniels after the first and second quarters, and it is now being asked loudly by those who have been in the league and lived with similar consequences.
Former NFL Players Call Out Patriots OC Josh McDaniels Over a Playcall
Former NFL players Chase Daniels and Kurt Benkert are not mincing words. They believe the Patriots’ offensive approach in the opening two quarters set a conservative tone that was impossible to escape later, even as the stakes demanded urgency.
The criticism centers on a single moment that perfectly captured the Patriots’ offensive mindset. On that down, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye handed the ball to running back Rhamondre Stevenson on a draw play, but the call produced little result.
Stevenson was stopped for a minimal gain, and the Patriots were forced to punt shortly afterward. The sequence became a clear example of New England choosing to run on third-and-five rather than attack downfield through the passing game.
This is why the call drew so much backlash. On third-and-five, defenses are usually geared up to stop the pass, but they are also willing to concede a short completion underneath. A run into that look has a very low success rate. More importantly, it tells the defense that the offense is more concerned with avoiding a mistake than with actually moving the chains.
That is what made former players furious about the Patriots’ OC, who has also served as an NFL head coach. Former NFL QB Chase Daniels wrote on X, “Patriots are calling a VERY conservative game offensively… McDaniels knows they are outmatched in the trenches.” Following his statements, Kurt Benkert reacted, “3rd and 5 run? W*F are they doing?”
Patriots are calling a VERY conservative game offensively…..
McDaniels knows they are outmatched in the trenches https://t.co/U9OYnSorfw
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) February 9, 2026
That run by Rhamondre Stevenson on third-and-five came about 14 minutes and 10 seconds into the second quarter of Super Bowl 60 between the Patriots and Seahawks. At that point in the game, McDaniels’ offense was still trying to find an offensive rhythm and had yet to score.
The Patriots hadn’t crossed midfield since their opening possession and were averaging 2.2 yards per play. They were tied for the third-lowest offensive EPA per play (-0.47) in a Super Bowl since at least 2000, according to TruMedia.
In a Super Bowl, especially that early in the game, those downs are opportunities to apply pressure and seize momentum. By choosing a conservative run, the Patriots effectively surrendered the drive. That single decision became a symbol of an offensive approach that many believe played it safe when it needed to be aggressive.
With that, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye also missed a chance to break one of the Super Bowl’s more infamous streaks. During his legendary career, Tom Brady never threw a touchdown pass in the first quarter of any of his Super Bowl appearances.
With New England’s conservative early approach stalling drives, Maye never got the opportunity to snap that long-standing mark of franchise history.
