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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. 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 potential for a letdown. 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, launching a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to throw a strike downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 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 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 23 years old or less.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. 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 game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with each 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 find open targets. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. 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 hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His development has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the progress of their rookie QB. 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 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 went from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It alters the identity of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build 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, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, last-minute loss. 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 year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the 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 game. Fields was making his 49th.

We know who Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass