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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who appears to be a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. 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, launching a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading score.

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

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so impressive that even North Carolina was forced to tweet. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a QB rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have ever done 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, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on important plays. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball 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 tackled once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It made no difference. Maye passed all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each going over 20 yards 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 find open targets. When needed, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and delivering the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. 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 choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an eight-year vet.

His development has sped up the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s transformed the Patriots into division contenders once more.

Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and never locate a solution.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed 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 now. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That featured a long TD 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 squad – a 61-yard TD.

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He located McConkey in the short area, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning 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 loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.

It's clear what Fields is now: an elite rusher who struggles to read the {passing game|pass