Has Maye Ended the Patriots' Painful Tom Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom 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 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a long pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to throw a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a QB 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 turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. 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 squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. 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 sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.
For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.
After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint 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 each week once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.
His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.
Bears fans will find solace in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. 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 bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown 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 squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Video of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before tossing the other to the deck. He found his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the winning kick.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the 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 Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.
We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass
