Did Drake Maye Ended the Patriots' Painful Brady Hangover?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years 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 – seem to have discovered their man.
Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a elite player 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 reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to deliver a strike deep. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.
The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. 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 narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. 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 sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, 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 first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.
For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.
After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.
His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders again.
Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the development of their rookie QB. 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 emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.
Securing a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. 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 today. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.
MVP of the Week
JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He found his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his protection flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.
Notable Statistic
Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB 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 game. Fields was in his 49th start.
We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass