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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

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

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws 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 game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can take off 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 structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is leading 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 slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders again.

Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 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 very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.

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