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

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

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed 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 all of four plays to answer, uncorking a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to deliver a perfect pass deep. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, 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 struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go 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 rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week 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 expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game 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 division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, 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 yet another reminder 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. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

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

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point 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 then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.

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