Has Maye Ended the New England's Difficult Brady Hangover?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-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 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to throw a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.
The top QBs turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground 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 performed under pressure.
Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.
This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores 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. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.
After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.
His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.
Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, 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 half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.
Securing a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new team – a 61-yard TD.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the first before tossing the other to the deck. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance 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 defeat, 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.
Notable Statistic
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended 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 1998. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.
We know what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass
