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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players 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 through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a elite player and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play on the first play 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 go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. 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 QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. 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 flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. 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 each week again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport 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.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived 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 now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early 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 squad – a 61-yard TD.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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