Has Maye Ended the Patriots' Painful Tom Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.
Five years. 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 MVP candidate.
Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning 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 lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.
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. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 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 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 achieved that at 23 years old or less.
The best quarterbacks 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 required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. 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 threw all three scoring throws under pressure, 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 protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, 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 confines of the scheme and delivering 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 reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.
After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.
His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.
Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. 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 yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.
Player of the Week
JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Video of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning kick.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers 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. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Notable Statistic
Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.
It's clear who Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass
