Has Drake Maye Finished the Patriots' Difficult Brady Aftermath?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.
Five years. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a young quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.
His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. 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 executed a big play 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, launching a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to throw a perfect pass downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, 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 avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.
Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.
This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play 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 detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his second season, 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 their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.
Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It alters the identity of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.
MVP of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 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 receiver all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard TD.
Video of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.
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 deck. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning kick.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.
It's clear who Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass