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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Five years. 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 road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.

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

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws 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 strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half 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 has avoided a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed 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.

Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, 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 yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport 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.

Securing a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It alters the identity 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 Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher 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 losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the initial before tossing the other to the ground. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards 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 minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.

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