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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Five years. 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 MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad 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 stalling out in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a long 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 protection to throw a perfect pass deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. 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 needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 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 create plays out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, 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. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It alters the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 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 receiver all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, 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. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. 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 fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

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

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