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You have to feel for the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and placeholders. In contrast, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found their man.

Five years. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a 23-year-old quarterback who looks like 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 outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

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

It was Maye at his best, navigating the pocket to deliver a strike downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth straight game with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots required all of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, conforming to the structure of the system and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.

Coming out of 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 stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His development 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 highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots playoff hopefuls again.

Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the development of Caleb Williams. 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 quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and never locate anyone.

Securing a franchise QB is about beyond victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the recent years have been about failing to build a transition from Tom Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to look for JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That included a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new squad – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and his receiver took over.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He located McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.

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