Did Maye Ended the New England's Difficult Tom Brady Aftermath?

You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: 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 Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning 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 lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.

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

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play 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 took hits a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go 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 constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. 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 predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the development 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 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 went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. 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 squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the 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 following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, 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

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.

It's clear who Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass