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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

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 victory away in Buffalo, 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 upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone 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 score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to deliver a perfect pass downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the progress 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 quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It alters the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The receiver responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown 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 touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the ground. He located McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. 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 New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

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