Did Maye Ended the Patriots' Painful Tom Brady Aftermath?

You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a 53-yard 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 throw a perfect pass deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks 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 near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes 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 confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the other NFL 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. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest 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 TD.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver 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 had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass