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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Five years. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

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

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to deliver a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino 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, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each 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, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, 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 games.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters will find solace 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 other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a 61-yard touchdown 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 first play with his new team – a 61-yard TD.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the deck. He located McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the game-winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards 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 San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

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