🔗 Share this article

It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom 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 elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to throw a strike downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores 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 over 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat 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 took hits a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP 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. Overly casual. 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 attack like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders again.

Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback emerges. 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 moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a long TD 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 touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, late defeat. 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 touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates 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 teammates as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. 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

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass