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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through 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 the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. 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 just four snaps to answer, launching a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

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

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

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 age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. 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 pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three 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 protection, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is leading the attack 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 slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing 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 emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved 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.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It changes the personality of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, constantly. The receiver responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest 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 touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball 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 flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure 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 keep his position.

Stat of the Week

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

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