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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win 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 more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. 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 opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps 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 at his best, navigating the pocket to throw a strike downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a passer 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 narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. 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 passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot quickly.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, 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 capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, 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 sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. 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 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 still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about failing to build a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest 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 TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.

It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass