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

You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a elite player and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming 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 red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to deliver a perfect pass deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, 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 confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.

Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing 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 QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and still don’t find a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It alters the personality of a fan base and franchise. 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 discovered the solution now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported 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 perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

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

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the deck. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the game-winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass