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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who looks like a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been even more impressive. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a lousy Saints team 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 red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, launching a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to throw a strike downfield. From there, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes 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 strong defensive line. Their defense gave up 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 sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half 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 hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is leading the offense 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 gradual process. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, 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 into playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the development 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 emerges. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than victories. It alters the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer today. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That included a 61-yard touchdown 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 squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the first before tossing the other to the ground. He found his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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