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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. 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 big play on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long pass to Pop Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to deliver a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. 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 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 made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads 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 more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot quickly.

For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Chicago supporters will find solace in seeing the progress 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 emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived 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 discovered the solution today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured 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 team – a 61-yard TD.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He found his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his protection struggles. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.

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