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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

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 Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday 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 teased an upset. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a long pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to throw a perfect pass downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved 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, keep the offense chugging 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 strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with each going over 20 yards in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. 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 first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour 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 weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development 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 spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders once more.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It alters the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge 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, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest 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 TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped 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 brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first 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 range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

We know who Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass