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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom 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 looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning 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 visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a long 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 pocket to throw a perfect pass deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 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 consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. 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 right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. 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 where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting 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 touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls 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 quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about beyond winning games. It alters the personality of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, dodging the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-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 defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

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