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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of looking, the Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a young quarterback who looks like a elite player and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a 53-yard pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

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

It was Maye in peak form, navigating the pocket to deliver a strike deep. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He ended 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into routine victories. They avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and deliver key passes on important plays. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye’s right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each going over 20 yards 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 needed, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the scheme and delivering the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye has 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to create plays out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is leading the attack like an experienced veteran.

His development has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Bears fans will take some comfort in seeing the progress of their rookie QB. 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 QB emerges. And for the rest of the league’s quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots moved from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and never locate anyone.

Finding 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 recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle’s only way forward was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seahawks’ offense, making up all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba just beat new Jaguars CB Greg Newsome on his first play with his new team – a 61-yard TD.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa 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, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the ground. He found McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning field goal.

It sums up the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his protection flails. And it reflects the Dolphins’ defense, too: a pass-rush that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

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

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