Has Drake Maye Ended the Patriots' Painful Tom Brady Hangover?

You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

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 MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.

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

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to throw a perfect pass downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

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 crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards 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 needed, 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 confines of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

For the season, 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 debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving 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 be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

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 wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It alters the identity of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That included a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

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

Video 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 Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He found McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his teammates 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 loss, 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.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie 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