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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the New England 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 appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to deliver a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. 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 tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot quickly.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns 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 failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week 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 imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. 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 possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

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

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