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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the Patriots – the after-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 young quarterback who looks like a elite player 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 reigning MVP in the fourth quarter. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division leaders, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints teased an upset. They ripped off a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, uncorking a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the pocket to throw a strike deep. After that, he didn’t let up: 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 finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, Dak Prescott, and Dan Marino have achieved that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks turn difficult road games into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye’s near perfection to squeeze by the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense gave up multiple big gains. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with all three going over 20 yards in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a first-year player, he was a somewhat erratic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, 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 broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his capacity to read complex defenses and run a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the entire range of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are shapeshifting each week again, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a slow burn. There would still exist the highlight throws, while Maye spent the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the NFL's top players – 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 Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is what it’s supposed to look like when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find a solution.

Securing a franchise QB is about more than winning games. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to regain their championship confidence.

Player of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight receptions for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a year-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards through the air. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest 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 touchdown.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with under a minute remaining, after Tua Tagovailoa found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. 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 brutal. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the first before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates 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 surrounding playmakers as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB ended with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any match since the San Diego Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th.

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