🔗 Share this article

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. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Half a decade. 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.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to throw a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina 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 straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

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 squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

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

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability 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 scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders once more.

Bears fans will find solace 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 other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years 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 New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured 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 first play with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past 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 winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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