Has Drake Maye Finished the Patriots' Painful Brady Aftermath?

You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found 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 MVP candidate.

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 final period. But Sunday in New Orleans 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 threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to throw a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. 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 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 over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws 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 contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up 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 season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game 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 again.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like 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 sport can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It changes the personality of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, 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 discovered the solution today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. 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 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a long TD 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 squad – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, last-minute loss. 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 year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush 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 the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass