Did Maye Ended the Patriots' Painful Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and placeholders. 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 through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a 53-yard deep ball 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 deliver a strike downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing 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 debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at 23 years old or less.
The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. 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 big gains. This was a contest decided 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 made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.
It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.
For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.
After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.
His development 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 be the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded 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.
Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB emerges. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It alters the personality of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance 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 offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.
We know who Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
