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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young 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. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to throw a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. 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 near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is leading the offense like an eight-year vet.

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 exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a long TD 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 touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the 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 ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM 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 found McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates 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 dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

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