🔗 Share this article

It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Five years. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a young quarterback who looks like a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike deep. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino 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 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 was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three 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 pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.

His development has accelerated 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. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his sophomore year, 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 seeing the progress of their rookie QB. 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 went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, 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 receiver all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the deck. He found his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the game-winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, 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

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass