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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found 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 looks like a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. 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 lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to throw a perfect pass deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

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

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by 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 was hit a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, 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 games.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders once more.

Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing 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 rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It alters the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, 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 today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for JSN, constantly. The receiver answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

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

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his protection flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

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