Did Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Brady Hangover?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.
Five years. 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 looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to deliver a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.
The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.
Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.
It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.
This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.
After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.
His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders once more.
Bears fans 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 emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.
Video of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, 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 advance in position for the winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.
We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass
