🔗 Share this article

You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

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

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. 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 touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

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 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 chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, 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 protection, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will find solace 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 QB arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. 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 transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the ground. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure 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 standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back 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 decipher the {passing game|pass