Has Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Tom Brady Hangover?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.
Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to deliver a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 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 at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the system 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 rookie year, 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 games.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, 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 trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.
His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.
Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, 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 half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate a solution.
Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It alters the identity of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured 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 squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.
It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
