Did Maye Finished the New England's Painful Tom Brady Hangover?

You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom 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 young quarterback who appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, 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 his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 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 consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. 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 tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.

His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing 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 quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest 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 squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He found his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates 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 dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass