🔗 Share this article

It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to throw a perfect pass downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done 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, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws 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 chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. 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 picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters will find solace 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 what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It alters the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a transition from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The wideout answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. 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 first play with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the ground. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. 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