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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the first play 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 long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to deliver a strike deep. 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 ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done 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 make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders again.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the progress 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 quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, 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 potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Prepare for your New England pals 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 Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a long TD 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 first play with his new team – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

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

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

It's clear who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass