Did Maye Finished the Patriots' Difficult Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.
Five years. 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.
Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans 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 large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to throw a strike downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB 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 don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided 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 made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the air.
It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.
For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.
After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.
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 spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders once more.
Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the progress 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 emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.
Finding a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.
Player of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown 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 team – a 61-yard touchdown.
Video of the Week
The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the ground. He located McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line 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 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.
Notable Statistic
Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.
It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
