Did Maye Finished the New England's Difficult Tom Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the after-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 Most Valuable Player contender.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw 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 upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done 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, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the air.
It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.
For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.
After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders once more.
Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. 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 quarterback emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.
Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. 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 now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.
MVP of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, constantly. The receiver answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Video of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning kick.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Notable Statistic
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.
It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass
