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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to deliver a perfect pass downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done 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, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

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

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. 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 exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, 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 found the answer today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best 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 touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage 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 negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.

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