Did Maye Finished the Patriots' Painful Tom Brady Aftermath?

It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Five years. 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 elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to throw a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each 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, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked 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 attack like an experienced veteran.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

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 QB arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase 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 found the answer today. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

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

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the deck. He located McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the game-winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

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