Did Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Tom Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.
Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a 53-yard 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, navigating the protection to deliver a perfect pass deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. 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 at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.
Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each 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 pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.
This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.
His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders once more.
Bears fans will find solace in seeing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, 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 found the answer now. 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 sole option was for their QB to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, late defeat. 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 season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before tossing the other to the deck. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.
We know who Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
