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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered 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 top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a trip to a struggling Saints squad 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 opting for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long pass 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 throw a strike downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games 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 needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, 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.

For the season, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, 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.

After college, Maye was billed as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly again, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders again.

Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB 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 GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed 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 Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, constantly. The wideout answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

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

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before tossing the other to the deck. He located his target in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line struggles. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. 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’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th start.

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