Has Maye Finished the New England's Difficult Tom Brady Hangover?

You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, 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 elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the current 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 trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a long pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

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

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so impressive 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 trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all the first 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 Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found Darren Waller 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 seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before tossing the other to the deck. He located McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the game-winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

It's clear who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass