Did Drake Maye Ended the New England's Difficult Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.
Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: 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 went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to throw a strike downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. 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, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat 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 sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.
This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.
His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, 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 exceeded expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders again.
Bears fans will find solace in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. 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 moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.
Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for JSN, constantly. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new team – a 61-yard TD.
Video of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. 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 season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the game-winning kick.
It sums up the Chargers' year: 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 floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell 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.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.
It's clear who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
