Has Maye Finished the Patriots' Painful Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 elite player and MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a 53-yard 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, navigating the protection to deliver a strike deep. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive 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 questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, 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 strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.
It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, 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 reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.
This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week 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 imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders once more.
Bears fans will find solace in seeing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find a solution.
Securing a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It alters the personality of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.
MVP of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That included a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best 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 touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even 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 has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass
