Has Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Tom Brady Hangover?

You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom 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 appears to be a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to deliver a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns 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 the Hall of Famer have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, 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 allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm 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 somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, 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 development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, 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. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes 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 discovered the solution today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB 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 long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.

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 under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.

We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass