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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found 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 young quarterback who looks like a elite player and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans 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 teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

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

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to throw a strike downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 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 straight game with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders once more.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, 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 another example 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 25 years looking – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It alters the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about failing to build a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, constantly. The wideout answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown 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 squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, 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 score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the deck. He located McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

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