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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

Five years. 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 top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning 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 lousy Saints team 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, uncorking a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs turn difficult road games 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 game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, 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 evolving weekly again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready 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 sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

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

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the 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 return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the game-winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the 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 professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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