Has Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Tom Brady Hangover?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade 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 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a elite player and MVP candidate.
Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. 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 settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to throw a strike downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns 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 at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye took hits a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.
This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays 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. Scouts questioned his ability to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.
His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders once more.
Bears fans will find solace in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example 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 searching – and still don’t find a solution.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. 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 failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. 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 team – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the ground. He found his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning kick.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush 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 Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to keep his position.
Notable Statistic
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.
It's clear who Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass
