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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom 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 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a long pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead 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. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better 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 Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum 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 big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

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

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.

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 arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

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