Has Maye Finished the Patriots' Painful Tom Brady Aftermath?
You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, 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 to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.
Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws 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 leaders, a visit 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 stalling out in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to throw a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.
The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all 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 game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.
Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
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 improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme 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 risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders 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 emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.
Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. 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 whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks 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 rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.
We know who Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
