Has Drake Maye Ended the New England's Painful Brady Hangover?
It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the 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 young quarterback who appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning 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 teased an upset. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!
It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to throw a strike downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved 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, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit 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 chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.
Maye took hits a few 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 flight.
It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. 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, adapting to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.
This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores 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 broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.
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 used the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.
Chicago supporters 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 the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.
Securing a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It alters the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge 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.
MVP of the Week
JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new team – a 61-yard TD.
Video of the Week
The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning kick.
It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. 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 passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.
It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass
