Did Maye Finished the New England's Painful Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.
Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off 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 just four snaps to respond, launching a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to deliver a perfect pass deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at 23 years old or less.
The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat 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 performed under pressure.
Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot quickly.
This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his ability to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week again, 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 exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.
Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. 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 emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find a solution.
Finding a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown 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 team – a 61-yard touchdown.
Video of the Week
The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, 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. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He located his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning kick.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.
We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass
