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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

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 Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team 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 settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.

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

It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to deliver a perfect pass deep. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores 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 Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on important plays. 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 contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver 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.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point 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 then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the ground. He located his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York 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 the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.

It's clear who Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass