Has Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Tom Brady Hangover?
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. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team 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 redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to deliver a strike deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
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 make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play 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 game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.
Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. 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.
For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.
His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.
Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB emerges. And for the other NFL 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 potential star in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.
Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.
Player of the Week
JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included 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.
Highlight of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the deck. He found his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his protection flails. 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 one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.
It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass
