Did Maye Finished the Patriots' Difficult Tom Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with 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 New England 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 looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to deliver a perfect pass downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 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 series of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at 23 years old or less.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection 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 contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.
It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot 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 rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability 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 unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, 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 be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.
Bears fans will find solace in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like 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 greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain 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, constantly. The wideout responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included 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 Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, 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 Ladd McConkey took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert 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 fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.
It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
