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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: 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 Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip 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 redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to throw a strike downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. 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 game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a few times and tackled 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 flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, 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 is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage 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. Evaluators doubted his ability to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.

Chicago supporters will find solace 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 other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It alters the identity of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured 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 very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet 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 year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. 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 flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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