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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who appears to be a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, uncorking a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to deliver a perfect pass downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters 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 could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by 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 passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed 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 self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays 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. Evaluators doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback emerges. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Tom 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

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all 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 pass-catcher all year.

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

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, 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 then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the first before throwing the second 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 game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended 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 started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.

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