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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom 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 appears to be a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They ripped off a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to deliver a perfect pass deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half 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 series of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth straight game with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed 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 didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the protection, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can run and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the initial hint of danger. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Evaluators doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and operate a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, 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 slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded predictions. Six games into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders once more.

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 wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Some teams spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the identity of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. Seattle’s defense led the way, hounding the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all 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.

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

Video of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles 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 return on the ensuing kickoff. From there, Justin Herbert and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before tossing the other to the ground. He found his target in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in position for the game-winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped 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.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was making his 49th.

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