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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in QB uncertainty, rotating through young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

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

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit 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 field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched 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 finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores 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, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws 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 stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a few times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws 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 protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

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

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario 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 game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. 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 discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.

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 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. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his protection flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

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