Did Maye Ended the New England's Painful Tom Brady Hangover?

It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

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

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to throw a strike deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 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 QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with each going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot quickly.

For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. 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 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 GOAT to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. 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 Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 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.

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

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He located his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell 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 save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even 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 read the {passing game|pass