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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning 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 visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.

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

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to deliver a perfect pass deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina 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 straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

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 necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, 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 gradual process. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders again.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, 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 possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a long TD 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 team – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball 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 protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.

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