🔗 Share this article

You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found 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 Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the current 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 visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

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

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

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 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 strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.

His development has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. 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 reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders once more.

Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB emerges. And for the other NFL 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 possible great in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It alters the personality of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 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.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. 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 touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before tossing the other to the ground. He located his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the game-winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

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