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

You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Five years. 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.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division favorites, 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 opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to deliver a strike downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 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 straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. 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 allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit 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 flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

For the season, 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 constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the development of their rookie QB. 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 quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than victories. It alters the personality of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, 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 New England pals to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured 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 team – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, 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 standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.

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