🔗 Share this article

You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. 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, uncorking a long pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to deliver a perfect pass downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. 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 consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. 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 allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

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 necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, 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 exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. 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 playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up 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 pass-catcher all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner 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 another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before tossing the other 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' year: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

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

It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass