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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

Five years. 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 Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win 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 risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a long pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

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

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to read complex defenses 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 relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is leading the offense like an eight-year vet.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It alters the identity of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding 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 included a 61-yard touchdown 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 losing end of another disappointing, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the first before throwing the second to the deck. He located McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.

We know who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass