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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 young players and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a 23-year-old 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 went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to throw a strike downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

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

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is leading the offense 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 spent the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the progress of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder 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 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It alters the personality of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 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 very first snap with his new team – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

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

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert 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 loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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