Did Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Brady Aftermath?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the 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 looks like a elite player and MVP candidate.
Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to throw a strike downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated 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 touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The top QBs turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by 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 passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws 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 confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.
This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. 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 transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.
Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.
Securing a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.
MVP of the Week
JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard TD.
Highlight of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB 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 was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning kick.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.
It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
