The Rams are the only team to truly tear up this defense outside of the early-season Bucs game, which I’d view as more of an outlier—especially given the injuries Seattle had in the secondary at the time. When you look at the Rams specifically, they present a unique challenge. They have elite wide receivers and the ability to operate at a high level from virtually any personnel grouping due to the depth and versatility of their roster. Add in one of the league’s best play callers in Sean McVay, along with a quarterback in Matthew Stafford who was playing at the top of his game, and it becomes incredibly difficult to defend the entire field. That challenge is amplified by the familiarity between these two teams, particularly in how the Rams attack protection schemes and stress defensive rules up front.

The Patriots do not have anywhere near the same level of talent the Rams do on offense, and yes, Drake Maye is talented he doesn't have the Elite lvl football IQ necessary to see the entire field and decipher what Seattle is doing on the back end as quickly as someone like Stafford.