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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. 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 field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to throw a perfect pass downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 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 straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 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 routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. 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 was hit a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot quickly.

For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is leading the offense like an eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing the progress of their rookie QB. 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 quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the game-winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.

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