Has Maye Finished the New England's Painful Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of looking, 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 young quarterback who appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to deliver a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.
Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.
For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to cut his mental errors 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 made the Patriots into division contenders once more.
Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate a solution.
Finding a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready 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 Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new team – a 61-yard TD.
Video of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the winning kick.
It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to keep his position.
Notable Statistic
Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.
It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass
