Did Maye Finished the Patriots' Painful Brady Hangover?
You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.
Five years. 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 Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to deliver a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. 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 zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging 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 chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.
It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.
This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint 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 weekly 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 expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.
Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.
Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It alters the identity of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.
MVP of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early 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 another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the first before tossing the other to the ground. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.
We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
