Did Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult 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 New England Patriots – the post-Tom 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 looks like a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long pass to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to deliver a perfect pass downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.
Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.
It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.
For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.
Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and never locate a solution.
Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. 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 squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the deck. He found his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning kick.
It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers 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 defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common 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 the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.
We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass