Has Maye Ended the New England's Painful Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.
Five years. 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 MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the first play 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 leading score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, 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 important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.
Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more 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 improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.
This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is leading the offense like an eight-year vet.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. 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 year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders once more.
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 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 yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find a solution.
Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Video of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the ground. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Notable Statistic
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.
It's clear who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass