Has Maye Finished the Patriots' Painful Brady Aftermath?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done 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 deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.
Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three 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 protection, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.
This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.
After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.
His growth 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 highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into 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 their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and never locate a solution.
Finding 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 failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning kick.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up 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. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.
We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
