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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 temporary starters. In contrast, 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 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 elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory 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 large gain on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching 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, navigating the pocket to deliver a strike deep. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it might have been better 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, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection 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 passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

Coming out of college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Scouts questioned his ability to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.

His development has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his mental errors 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 made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Bears fans will find solace in witnessing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great 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 fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

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

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, 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 season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the game-winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. 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.

Stat of the Week

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

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