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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago 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 Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays 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 in peak form, climbing through the protection to throw a perfect pass deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

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

The top QBs turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. 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 game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate 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 turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors 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 transformed the Patriots into division contenders once more.

Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It alters the identity of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best 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 touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He found his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

It's clear who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to read the {passing game|pass