Has Drake Maye Finished the Patriots' Painful Brady Hangover?
You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, 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 Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to deliver a strike downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. 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 Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.
Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.
This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.
Bears fans will find solace in seeing 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 teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game 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 looking – and never locate a solution.
Securing a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, constantly. The receiver responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.
Video of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point 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 ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the winning kick.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.
We know what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
