Did Maye Ended 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 quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, 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 young quarterback who looks like a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, 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 more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to throw a perfect pass downfield. 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 even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. 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 few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure 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 beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, 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 now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the progress 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 emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It changes the personality of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, 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 responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown 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.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami 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 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the game-winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB 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 defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass