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

It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a elite player and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star 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 visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to throw a strike downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

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

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters 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 arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport 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 never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It alters the identity of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, 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 year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the deck. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped 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

Minus-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 lowest in any match since the Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

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