Did Drake Maye Ended the New England's Difficult Brady Aftermath?
You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.
Half a decade. 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 appears to be a top-five starter 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 surpassed 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 risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to deliver a perfect pass downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.
The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit 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 performed under pressure.
Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each going over 20 yards in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.
For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is leading the offense like an eight-year vet.
His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.
Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. 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 QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It alters the personality of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, 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 team – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the game-winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.
Notable Statistic
Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.
It's clear who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
