🔗 Share this article

It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to deliver a perfect pass deep. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards 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 locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked 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 experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing 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 emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived 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 Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 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 TD.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass