Has Maye Finished the Patriots' Painful Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.
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 appears to be a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching 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 strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. 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 narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.
Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the flight.
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 necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.
This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the attack 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 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. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.
Bears fans will find solace 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 quarterback emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – 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 Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about failing to build a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Prepare 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 sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score 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 sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.
Video of the Week
The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He found his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the winning kick.
It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.
It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass
