Did Maye Ended the New England's Difficult Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom 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 top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to deliver a perfect pass downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at 23 years old or less.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.
Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. 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 confines of the scheme 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 rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. 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 trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.
His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.
Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.
Finding a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It alters the personality of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a 61-yard touchdown 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 touchdown.
Video of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the deck. He found his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the game-winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.
Notable Statistic
Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.
It's clear who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass
