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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom 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 looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, 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. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a struggling Saints squad 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 opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer 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 best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent 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 turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.

Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, 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 discovered the solution now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for JSN, constantly. The receiver responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver 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 Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.

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