It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade 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 road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.
Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!
It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to deliver a perfect pass downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.
It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB 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 crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground 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 took hits a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.
It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run 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 more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.
This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.
After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.
His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders once more.
Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and never locate anyone.
Securing a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It alters the personality of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.
JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured 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.
The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles 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 his receiver took over.
WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.
Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before tossing the other to the deck. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.
Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.
We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass
