Did Drake Maye Finished the Patriots' Difficult Brady Hangover?

It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the current 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 struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a long pass to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated 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 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done 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 flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. 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 few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. 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, adapting to the confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns 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 broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving 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 be the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.

Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the personality of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. 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. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown 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 team – 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 Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

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

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, 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 common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.

We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass