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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like 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 outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the first play 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 53-yard pass to DeMario Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the protection to deliver a strike deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

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

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 make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off 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, adapting to the structure of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots division contenders again.

Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario 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 game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. Seattle’s defense set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

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

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, 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 Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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