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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

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.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to deliver a perfect pass deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done 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, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a several times and sacked 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 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 somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters 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 quarterback emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It alters the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. 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 common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.

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