Has Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-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 appears to be a top-five starter and MVP candidate.
Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star 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 visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading score.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to deliver a perfect pass downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.
The top QBs turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit 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 contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.
Maye took hits a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each going over 20 yards in the air.
It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, 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 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.
Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing 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 other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find a solution.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.
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, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB 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 yet another disappointing, late defeat. 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 season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to keep his position.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.
It's clear who Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass
