Did Maye Finished the Patriots' Painful Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the New England 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 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.
His breakout performance came last week: 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 surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. 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 settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a long pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.
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. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. 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, adapting to the confines of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.
This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.
His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, 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 playoff hopefuls again.
Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the development 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 QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. 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 first play with his new team – a 61-yard TD.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.
Notable Statistic
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards 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 Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.
We know who Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass
