Did Drake Maye Ended the Patriots' Painful Tom Brady Aftermath?
You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.
Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to throw a strike downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. 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 touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play 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 contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.
It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.
For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. 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 restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an eight-year vet.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.
Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the development 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 teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find anyone.
Securing a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.
Player of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, 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 snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 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.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Video of the Week
The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Notable Statistic
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.
We know what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
