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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and temporary starters. In contrast, after only half a decade of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Half a decade. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a 23-year-old quarterback who appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a road win in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an surprise victory over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before faltering in the redzone and opting for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps 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 at his best, navigating the protection to throw a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye dominated the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a few times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. 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 initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of 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 rushing touchdowns and only two picks. He’s halved his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Now, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a strong-armed passer. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unlocked the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you expected it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the spectacular passes, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his second season, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the development of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise QB emerges. And for the other NFL teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive 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 still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It alters the identity of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Pats lived the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve found the answer now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The wideout responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest route we’ll see from a pass-catcher all year.

JSN outmaneuvered new Jaguars corner Greg Newsome on his very first snap with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. From there, Justin Herbert and his receiver seized control.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the ground. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his protection flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to keep his position.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third game. Fields was making his 49th start.

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