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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 prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

Half a decade. 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 victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. 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 large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading score.

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 torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, 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 constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is leading the offense 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 slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls 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 cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Securing a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. 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 very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard TD.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging 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 game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.

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