Has Maye Ended the Patriots' Difficult Tom Brady Hangover?

You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who appears to be 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 reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

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

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to deliver a strike deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, 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 make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground 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 was hit a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour 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 weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, 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 cruel and cyclical this sport 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 still don’t find anyone.

Finding 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 last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included 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 very first snap with his new team – 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 Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, 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 common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

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

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