Did Drake Maye Ended the New England's Painful Tom Brady Aftermath?

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

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to throw 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 impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 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 straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. 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 defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, 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 pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development 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 be the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders again.

Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It alters the personality of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That included a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

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

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of 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 ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the first before tossing the other to the ground. He located his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

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