Has Maye Ended the New England's Painful Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-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 young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away 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 more remarkable. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop 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 deliver a strike downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. 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 the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.
The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot quickly.
For the season, Maye has 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 constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.
After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.
His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.
Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing 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 quarterback emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate a solution.
Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It alters the identity of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a long TD 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 team – a 61-yard TD.
Video of the Week
The 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 score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the game-winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.
We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
