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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

Five years. 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 Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to throw a strike deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs convert tough away matches 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 needed every bit 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 game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, 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 getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, 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 strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His growth 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 highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed 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 rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder 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 searching – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It alters the identity of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. 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.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for JSN, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That included 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 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 Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He found 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 brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

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