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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 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 straight game with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks 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 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 was hit a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint 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 evolving each week once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, 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 another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB 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 another disappointing, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He found his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.

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