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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team 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 faltering in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to deliver a strike downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 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 north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat 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 passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

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 debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders again.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development 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 QB emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. 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 touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the first before tossing the other to the deck. He located McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.

We know what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass