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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in QB uncertainty, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

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 Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to deliver a perfect pass downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games 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 near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

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

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, 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 now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the development 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 QB emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and still don’t find a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 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 team – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. 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 put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

It's clear who Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass