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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 elite player and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, 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, navigating the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches 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 squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball 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 delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off 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 this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP 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. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders again.

Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It alters the identity of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the first before tossing the other to the deck. He located his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common 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 passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.

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