Did Maye Finished the New England's Difficult Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.
Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off 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 all of four plays to respond, launching a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to deliver a perfect pass deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, 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, scanning options 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 first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.
For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.
His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.
Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the progress 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 other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find a solution.
Finding a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.
MVP of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Video of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, 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 his receiver seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the ground. He located his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Notable Statistic
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.
We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass
