Did Maye Ended the New England's Difficult Tom Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.
Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to throw a perfect pass downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.
For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.
His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.
Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and still don’t find a solution.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.
Player of the Week
JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He found his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.
It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass
