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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found 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 young quarterback who looks like a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off 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, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to throw a perfect pass downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters 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 might have been better if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play 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 passing. And he performed under pressure.

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

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end 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 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 ground. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.

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