Has Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.
Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.
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. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer 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 ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye took hits a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the air.
It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, 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 this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.
For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.
Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and never locate a solution.
Finding a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.
MVP of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest 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 wrong side of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning kick.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.
Notable Statistic
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.
We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass
