Has Maye Finished the New England's Painful Brady Hangover?
You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects 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 through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain 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 deep ball to DeMario 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 dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 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 at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each going over 20 yards 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 necessary, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.
This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.
His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders once more.
Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. 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 game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.
Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That included a long TD 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 Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the winning kick.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell 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.
Stat of the Week
Minus-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 minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.
It's clear who Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass