Has Maye Finished the Patriots' Difficult Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.
Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to deliver a perfect pass downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at 23 years old or less.
The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes 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 passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, 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 confines of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.
This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.
His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. 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 used the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, 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 into division contenders once more.
Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the progress 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 QB emerges. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Get ready for your Masshole friends 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 look for JSN, constantly. The receiver answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured 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 TD.
Highlight of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the ground. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure 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 standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Notable Statistic
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.
It's clear who Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass
