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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain 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 long pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to throw a perfect pass downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 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 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 needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat 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 right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.

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 necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns 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 broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters 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 arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It alters the personality of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 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.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. 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 put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

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

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