🔗 Share this article

It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

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 top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, 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 opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a long pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

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

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders once more.

Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. 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 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. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It alters the identity 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 Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest 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 wrong side of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the initial before tossing the other to the ground. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

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