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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit 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 faltering in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps 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 in peak form, climbing through the protection to throw a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better 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 Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

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 make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns 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. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters 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 arrives. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed 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 New England pals to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a 61-yard touchdown 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 wrong side of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the first before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass