Did Maye Ended the New England's Painful Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.
Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who appears to be a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.
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 fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to deliver a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.
Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. 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 more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.
For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving 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 second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.
Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing the development of their rookie QB. 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 quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate anyone.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest 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 squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return 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 was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before tossing the other to the ground. He located McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.
It's clear who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass