Has Maye Ended the Patriots' Painful Brady Hangover?

You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades 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 – appear to have found their man.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a elite player and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a 53-yard 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 pocket to throw a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games 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 narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed 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 self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.

For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. 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 relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

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 mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders again.

Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. 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 moved from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and never locate anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It alters the personality of a fan base 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 today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included 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 first play with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM 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 ground. He found his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

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