Has Drake Maye Ended the Patriots' Painful Tom Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between 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.
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 MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen 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 leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a 53-yard pass to Pop 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 dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.
The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.
Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.
It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. 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 is up to 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 always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.
His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.
Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. 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 other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate a solution.
Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new team – a 61-yard TD.
Highlight of the Week
The Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the game-winning field goal.
It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: 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 defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Stat of the Week
Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.
We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
