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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a long pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

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

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 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 deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and delivering 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 Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Too loose. 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 being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing 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 quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, 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 five years. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and never locate anyone.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and organization. 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 whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

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

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

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

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection struggles. 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 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 passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass