Did Maye Finished the New England's Difficult Tom Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.
Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.
Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 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 above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.
Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm 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 somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.
For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.
After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.
His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.
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 the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.
Securing a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported 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 perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Video of the Week
The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the first before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the winning kick.
It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Notable Statistic
Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. 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 in his 49th.
It's clear who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass
