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You have to feel for the Browns, 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 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.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team 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 stalling out in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

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

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to throw a strike downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. 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 now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It alters the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived 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. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a long TD 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.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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