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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, 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. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. 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 settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a 53-yard pass 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 protection to throw a perfect pass deep. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging 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 big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards 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 run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included 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 touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the game-winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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