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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday 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 teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

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

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 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 consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

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 deliver key passes 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 tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can run 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 more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth 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 experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing 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 QB emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and organization. For two decades, 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 found the answer now. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best 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 TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

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