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

It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away 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 trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, 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, climbing through the pocket to deliver a strike deep. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, 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, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the progress 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 quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It alters the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about failing to build a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new team – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, 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. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.

We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass