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You have to feel for the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and temporary starters. In contrast, after just five years of searching, the Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – appear to have found the guy.

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 went throw-for-throw with Josh Allen and outplayed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a big play 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 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 in peak form, climbing through the pocket to throw a perfect pass downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for 261 yards with three scores and no turnovers. And it could have been more if not for a trio of questionable officiating calls.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a QB rating north of 100. Only the Chiefs' star, 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 avoid risky throws, keep the offense chugging and make the decisive throws 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 strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye’s right arm. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was constant. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three touchdown passes while pressured, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to locate receivers. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a first-year player, he was a little chaotic, escaping pressure at the first sign of trouble. But now, he’s been more like Brady, adapting to the confines of the system and getting the ball to the right spot in a hurry.

For the season, Maye has 10 TD passes, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was always attempting to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, 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. Scouts questioned his ability to process sophisticated coverages and run a complex offense. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour 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 weekly again, and Maye is piloting the offense 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 be the spectacular passes, while Maye used the season trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders 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 QB emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s yet another reminder of how harsh and repetitive this game can be. The Patriots moved from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about more than victories. It changes the identity of a fan base and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Tom 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 sole option was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, constantly. The receiver responded with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, pressuring Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a season-high seven sacks. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, making up all the first 117 of the team's early yards via passing. That included a long TD and perhaps the best route we’ll see from a receiver all year.

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

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of another frustrating, last-minute loss. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, dodging the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in range for the winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the excellence of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards the Jets' QB finished with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Back then, the Chargers had Ryan Leaf making his third game. Fields was making his 49th.

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