Did Maye Ended the New England's Difficult Brady Aftermath?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.
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 top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a 53-yard 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 protection to deliver a perfect pass downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 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 consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.
The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.
It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot quickly.
For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.
His development 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 highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.
Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time 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 more than victories. It alters the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about failing to build a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up 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 pass-catcher all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.
Video of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the first before tossing the other to the ground. He found his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Notable Statistic
Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.
We know what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass
