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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom 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 elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat 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 was hit a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, 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 system and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is leading the offense like an eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. 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 QB arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It alters the identity of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, 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 New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. 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 squad – a 61-yard TD.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He located his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

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

It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass