Did Drake Maye Finished the New England's Painful Tom Brady Hangover?

It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England 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 appears to be a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading score.

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

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to deliver a perfect pass downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders again.

Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest 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 touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.

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