Did Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Tom Brady Hangover?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.
Half a decade. 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 elite player and MVP candidate.
Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.
The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. 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 sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.
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 necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.
This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided 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 detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.
His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.
Bears fans will find solace in seeing 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 QB arrives. 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 greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.
Finding a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 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 team – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the ground. He located his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning kick.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB 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 weak coverage. With the loss, 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 net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.
We know what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass