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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the after-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 young quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a 53-yard deep ball to DeMario Douglas for the go-ahead 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 perfect pass deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks convert tough away matches into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye’s near perfection to narrowly defeat 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 pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can run and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

This year, Maye has 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and only two picks. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his ability to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.

Bears fans will take some comfort in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The wideout answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags 20-12. Seattle’s defense led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven times. But it was JSN who supported the Seattle's attack, accounting for 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 pass-catcher all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past 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 move the ball in range for the game-winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of their QB and his surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, 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.

Notable Statistic

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

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