Has Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.
Five years. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a young quarterback who appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.
Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a struggling Saints squad 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 settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a long deep ball 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 perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: 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 ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.
The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum 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 passing. And he performed under pressure.
Maye took hits 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 each going over 20 yards in the air.
It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.
For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores 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 failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.
His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders once more.
Bears fans 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 what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB emerges. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate a solution.
Securing a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown 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.
Video of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the deck. He found McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.
Notable Statistic
Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.
It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass
