Has Maye Finished the New England's Painful Brady Aftermath?

You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Five years. 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 Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the current 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 teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a long pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to deliver a strike deep. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

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

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. 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 create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders once more.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, constantly. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a long TD and perhaps the best 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 TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, 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 score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. 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 losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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