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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Five years. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a young quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario 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 strike downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched 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 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs turn difficult road games 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 flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders again.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, 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. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the personality of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included 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 very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the ground. He found his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush 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 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 New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-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 has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass