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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and temporary starters. 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 young quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

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

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to deliver a perfect pass downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His first half was so searing that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 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 passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. 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 gave up multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three scoring throws while pressured, with each going over 20 yards in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. 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 eight-year vet.

His growth has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders again.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the development 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 other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for Smith-Njigba, constantly. The receiver answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best 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 touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert 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 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.

Notable Statistic

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

It's clear who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who struggles to decipher the {passing game|pass