Did Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Tom Brady Aftermath?

It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to deliver a perfect pass deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. 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 above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit 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 big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can run and improvise on the ground. 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 confines of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.

His development has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB arrives. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about failing to build a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 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 Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, 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 returned a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the deck. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB 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 minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass