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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Five years. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a young quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad 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 opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

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

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to throw a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 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 consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. 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 flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, 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 confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.

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 highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 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.

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 yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end 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.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his protection flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, 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 New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.

We know what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to decipher the {passing game|pass