Has Maye Ended the New England's Difficult 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, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to throw a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. 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 defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.
This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, 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 conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.
After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.
His development has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders once more.
Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.
Finding a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It alters the personality of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher 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 wrong side of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the 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 kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning kick.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line struggles. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Notable Statistic
Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.
We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass
