It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years 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 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a elite player and MVP candidate.
His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain 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 respond, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to deliver a strike downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.
The top QBs turn difficult road games 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 narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.
Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. 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.
For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.
Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.
His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders once more.
Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate a solution.
Finding a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.
JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard TD.
The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the game-winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.
We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass
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