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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and placeholders. In contrast, 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 elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, 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, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed 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 self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. 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 season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. 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 another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about failing to build a transition 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.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. 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 team – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up 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 Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

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