Has Drake May ended the Patriots’ painful Tom Brady hangover? | New England Patriots
YYou have to feel for the Browns, Jets and Bears. These franchises have spent decades in mediocrity purgatory, alternating between leads and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the Patriots — post-Tom Brady Patriots — appear to have found their man.
Five years. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Billy Zappe to Maye’s up-and-down first season to this: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and an MVP candidate.
Last week was his breakout: a road win at Buffalo, in which Maye threw with Josh Allen and outscores the MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans was perhaps even more impressive. After an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a poor Saints team was likely to spell disappointment. The Saints pulled off an early upset. They made a big play on the opening snap of the game, before getting stopped in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all four plays to respond, launching a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.
It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to hit a home run. From there, it didn’t let up: May set the Saints on fire in every area of the field. The first half was very hot Even North Carolina forced to tweet. He finished 18 of 26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. It would have been more if it weren’t for the trio Questionable official calls.
It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott and Dan Marino have done that at age 23 or younger.
The best quarterbacks turn tough road games into impressive victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, stay on the attack and make crucial shots on crucial shots. The Patriots needed every bit of near perfection from Maye to pressure the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong front. Their defense gave up several plays. This was a must-win match with May’s right arm. He surrendered under fire.
May was beaten several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It doesn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three traveling 20 or more yards through the air.
It’s not just about numbers. This is how May carries himself. He’s confident and calm in the pocket, navigating through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a bit of a mess, running out of pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.
For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s cut his play-deserved turnover rate in half since his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he chooses his moments. He has not committed TWP in three games per PFF.
After graduating from college, May was described as a major armed attacker. Evaluators questioned his ability to process complex coverages and execute a complex offense. Very loose. the pretty reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed his scheme fully. May is not limited. He was trusted. The Patriots are changing form on a weekly basis once again, and May is leading the offense like an eight-year vet.
His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ schedule. If there was a breakthrough in the second year, I imagined it would be a slow burn. There will still be the special throws, while May has spent the season trying to cut the fart his brain produces each game in half. That would be progress. Instead, May shattered expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s transformed into one of the best players in the league — and he’s a class contender for the Patriots once again.
Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing Caleb Williams’ development. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you should feel terrible. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the quarterback-hungry teams in the league, it’s another reminder of how brutal and cyclical this sport is. The Patriots have gone from greatest of all time to potential greatest in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching, and still don’t find anyone.
Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than just winning games. It changes the character of the fanbase and the franchise. For 20 years, Batts lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Brady to what comes next. They have found the answer now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era hustle.
Player of the week
Jackson Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Facing a stifling Jaguars defense, the only way for Seattle to advance was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, stalking Trevor Lawrence and bringing him down a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown and maybe The nastiest path We’ll see from receiver throughout the year.
Video of the week
The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then returned a 40-yard touchdown on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and McConkey took over:
Hoo boy. This means. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two of the oncoming intruders, getting past the first before throwing the other over the deck. He found McConkey in the flat, who put the Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball into range for the game-winning field goal.
It sums up the Chargers’ season: squealing about the superiority of Herbert and the playmakers surrounding him while their offensive line falters. It sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass rush that struggles to finish and a fumbling secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become the norm for Mike McDaniel’s side. With another devastating loss, time is running out to save his job.
Statistics of the week
Minus 10. That’s Justin Fields’ net passing yards in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest for any game since the Chargers were -19 in 1998, according to news agency. Even then, the Chargers had made Ryan Leaf make his third professional start. The fields were making it 49.
We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner struggling to decipher the passing game. He is late in reading defenses, is late in letting go of the ball and struggles with the rhythmic demands of the league. Facing a fearsome Broncos defensive front, Fields’ shortcomings were brutally exposed. He was sacked several times (nine) when he completed a pass.
Despite falling to 0-6 and continuing his quarterback struggles, Jets coach Aaron Glenn said after the game that he was not considering benching Fields. “There are 11 games left,” Fields said. Based on Sunday’s performance, this sounds more like a threat than words of encouragement.
Elsewhere around the league
– The Chiefs’ loss to the Jaguars in Week 5 looks like more of a hiccup than a crisis after Kansas City dominated the Detroit Lions with a 30-17 win on Sunday night. Yes, the Lions have a depleted secondary, but Mahomes — who had three TDs passing and another rushing — was excellent as he found Travis Kelce time and time again. And remember, Mahomes has another target, Rushie Rice, who will return from suspension next week. The Lions shouldn’t be too disheartened, as several of their injured players will be back in a month or so, in time for the start of the new season. The game also appeared An entertaining petty quarrel between the two teams after Brian Branch apparently refused to raise Mahomes’ five at the end of the contest.
“They’re not overpowered,” Panthers running back Rico Dowdle said after gaining 239 yards from scrimmage and scoring a touchdown against the Cowboys. On Dallas’ list of offseason sins, not extending Dowdle after rushing for 1,000 yards last season is on the rise. The Panthers acquired him in a bargain deal, and he ran all over the hapless Cowboys defense in Sunday’s 30-27 win. Note from NFL Research: Dowdle’s 239 yards from scrimmage are the most by a player in a game against his former team in league history.
– Who was Baker Mayfield the favorite for the MVP award six weeks into the season? The Bucs quarterback kept his heat going early in the season with a 30-19 win over the Niners, which Missing star linebacker Fred Warner for the season A horrific ankle injury. It was a game in which Mayfield, who had already lost two receivers, lost to rookie phenom Emeka Egbuka For a hamstring injury. The Bucs were also forced to punt Sixth series protects. None of the setbacks bothered Mayfield, who completed 17 of 23 pass attempts for 256 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions. He added another play to his MVP reel. In the decisive 3rd and 14th minute, Baker went into full beast modeslides off the sack, scrambles, strong-arms a defender, then dives between two tacklers to take the first down. Two plays later, he delivered a 45-yard dart to rookie Tez Johnson for a touchdown.
– It was another disastrous performance for the Cowboys’ defense, but their offense is still excellent despite the absence of all five of their starters on the offensive line. Dak Prescott completed 25 of 34 pass attempts for 261 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers or sacks against the Panthers. George Pickens was his favorite target, and he fried Carolina’s undermanned secondary for 168 yards and a touchdown on nine catches. Prescott’s connection to Pickens has been everything Dallas hoped for after acquiring the former Steelers wide receiver in the offseason. Attention will quickly turn to Pickens’ upcoming contract extension. Will Jerry Jones pay more than $100 million for another receiver after signing CeeDee Lamb to a long-term extension and replacing Micah Parsons, in part, to save money?
— It was an even, up-and-coming week for the Colts, who needed a late red-zone stop to beat a feisty Cardinals team 31-27. Indy’s offense continued to roll, scoring 30 points for the fourth time this season. But Indy’s defense struggled to contain the Cardinals’ offense led by backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett, which may have forced some in Arizona to take a sideways glance at Kyler Murray.
– What happens in Indianapolis during warm-ups? Backup quarterback — and potential trade candidate — Anthony Richardson suffered an orbital fracture in the locker room before the Colts’ game against the Cardinals. according to espnRichardson was hit in the eye with an exercise bar when the device malfunctioned. Richardson wasn’t the only one who struggled before the game: Charvarius Ward was ruled out with a concussion after his game. Accidentally collided with With tight end Alec Ogletree.
– The crippled Ravens fell to 1-5 after losing 17-3 at home to the Rams, making it the worst start to a season in John Harbaugh’s 18-year tenure with the franchise. Baltimore will hit its lowest point in the Harbaugh era. If they can get the bulk of their core players back from injury after the break, they could still make a playoff run. But the chances of a change in season are diminishing. Since the current playoff format began in 2020, only one team — Washington in 2020 — has started 1-5 and made the playoffs.