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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to throw a perfect pass downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It alters the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 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 pass-catcher all year.

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

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. 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.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the ground. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, 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 standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

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 Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

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