Has Maye Finished the Patriots' Difficult Brady Hangover?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.
Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming 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 ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to deliver a strike downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging 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 strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.
Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each going over 20 yards in the flight.
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 first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and getting 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 failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.
His development has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined 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 improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders once more.
Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.
Securing a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Prepare for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the game-winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.
Notable Statistic
Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.
We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass
