Has Drake Maye Ended the New England's Painful Brady Aftermath?

You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

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 top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning 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 risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.

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

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to deliver a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is leading the offense like an eight-year vet.

His development has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the progress 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 QB emerges. 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 GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It alters the personality of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived 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 now. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, constantly. The wideout answered 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 led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured 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 very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass