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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a long pass to Pop Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to deliver a perfect pass downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. 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 zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game 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 best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground 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 took hits a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, 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' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.

Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the progress 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 emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and never locate anyone.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

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

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, late defeat. 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 year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.

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