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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the 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 young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

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

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to deliver a perfect pass deep. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

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

The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, 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 this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games 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 progress 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 arrives. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard TD.

Video of the Week

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

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure 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 keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.

It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass