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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a young quarterback who looks like a elite player and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.

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

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to throw a perfect pass downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer 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 top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit 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 game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the system 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 constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

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 highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example 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 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the personality of a fan base 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 today. Prepare for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

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

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the first before tossing the other to the deck. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning 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 floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

It's clear what Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass