Has Drake Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Tom Brady Aftermath?

It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

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 Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

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. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

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 age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks 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 narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed 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 pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run 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, adapting to the structure of the system and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the progress 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 QB emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about failing to build a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a long TD and perhaps the best 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 squad – 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 Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass