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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

Five years. 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 MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans 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 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 field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a long deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

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

It was Maye at his best, navigating the protection to deliver a strike downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. 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 near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

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

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. 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 confines of the system and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. 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 New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing 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 emerges. And for the rest of the league’s teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate anyone.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest 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 TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the ground. He located McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

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