🔗 Share this article

You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday 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 large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a long deep ball 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 pocket to throw a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

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 Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging 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 gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed 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 self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked 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 piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders again.

Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. 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 quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, 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.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, late defeat. 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 season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before tossing the other to the deck. He found McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.

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