🔗 Share this article

It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

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 MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a long pass to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.

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

It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing 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 might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters 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 what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

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