Has Maye Finished the Patriots' Difficult Tom Brady Hangover?

It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom 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 looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

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

It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to deliver a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. 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 series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum 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 big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. 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 run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders once more.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. 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 QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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