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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found 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 elite player and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead score.

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

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to throw a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

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

The top QBs turn difficult road games 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 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 gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. 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 how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the full breadth 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 eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, 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 into division contenders once more.

Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It alters the identity of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the game-winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Miami's D, 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. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

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