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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory 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 big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

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

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to throw a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. 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 scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off 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 this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders again.

Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like 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 moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

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

Video of the Week

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

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the ground. He found his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest 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 who Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass