Did Drake Maye Ended the New England's Difficult Brady Aftermath?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.
Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip 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 settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to deliver a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 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 don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots required all 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 game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.
Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.
For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three games.
After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. 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 highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.
Bears fans will find solace in seeing 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 teams lacking QBs, 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 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.
Securing a franchise QB is about more than victories. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.
Player of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest 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 Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.
INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the winning kick.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Notable Statistic
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.
It's clear who Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass
