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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

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 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 outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad 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 redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, launching a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

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

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks 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 flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense gave up 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 not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, 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 division contenders again.

Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, 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 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 searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown 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 first play with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the ground. He located McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in range for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish 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.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.

We know who Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass