Did Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Brady Aftermath?
You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.
Five years. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a young quarterback who appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to throw a perfect pass downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.
The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.
This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.
After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.
His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.
Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.
Finding a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.
Highlight of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning kick.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.
We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
