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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the after-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 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking 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 strike downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs turn difficult road games 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 flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye took hits a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; 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' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders once more.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, 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 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It alters the personality of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about failing to build a transition from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

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

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the ground. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.

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