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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the after-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 top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory 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 big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to deliver a perfect pass downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

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 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 gave up multiple big gains. 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 defensive pressure was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores 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 failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback emerges. 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 GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It alters the personality of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Prepare for your Masshole friends 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 target JSN, constantly. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 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 pass-catcher all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before tossing the other to the ground. He located McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.

It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass