You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.
Five years. 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 Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading score.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. 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 passer rating north of 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 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 near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.
Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced 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 beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.
This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores 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 failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.
After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his ability to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.
His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his second season, 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 their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.
Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It alters the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years 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 New England pals to regain their championship confidence.
MVP of the Week
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, constantly. The receiver answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That included a long TD and perhaps the best 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 squad – a 61-yard touchdown.
Highlight of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.
Notable Statistic
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.
It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
