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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. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Five years. 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 looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a long pass to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to deliver a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won 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 didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with each going over 20 yards in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme 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 only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, 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.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the progress 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 emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, 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. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

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

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

It's clear who Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass