Did Drake Maye Finished the New England's Painful Tom Brady Aftermath?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.
Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: 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 went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground 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 tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot 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 always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.
After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.
His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.
Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, 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 five years. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.
Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.
Player of the Week
JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a long TD 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 TD.
Video of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the game-winning kick.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.
It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass
