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You have to feel for the Browns, New York Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

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 top-five starter and Most Valuable Player contender.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with the Bills' star and surpassed the current MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an surprise victory over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a long 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, climbing through the protection to deliver a strike downfield. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His first half was so searing that his alma mater was compelled to post. 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 series of questionable officiating calls.

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

The top QBs turn difficult road games into routine victories. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, maintain offensive momentum and deliver key passes on crucial downs. The Patriots needed every bit of Maye's flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They struggled on the ground against a stout front. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. 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 pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the flight.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, bouncing through reads to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and improvise on the ground. As a rookie, he was a somewhat erratic, fleeing the pocket at the first sign of trouble. But this season, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the structure of the system and delivering the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and only two picks. He’s halved his risky play percentage 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 TWP in three outings.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Too reckless. But the offensive coordinator, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is leading the offense like an experienced veteran.

His growth has sped up the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be second-year progress, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye used the season trying to cut his mental errors in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots into division contenders again.

Chicago supporters will find solace in witnessing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to cringe. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB emerges. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in half a decade. Certain franchises spend a 25 years looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Patriots enjoyed the gilded life. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Tom Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution today. Get ready for your Masshole friends to rediscover their championship confidence.

MVP of the Week

JSN, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target JSN, constantly. The receiver responded with eight receptions for 162 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks snuck past the Jaguars by eight points. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and sacking him a season-high seven sacks. But it was Smith-Njigba who carried the Seahawks’ offense, accounting for all 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured 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.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of yet another disappointing, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the following kick. Then, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Somehow, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the first before tossing the other to the ground. He found McConkey in the flat, who faked out a defender to advance in range for the game-winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection struggles. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a weak coverage. With the loss, the Dolphins dropped to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Denver Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any match since the Chargers had negative 19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th.

It's clear who Fields is now: an exceptional runner who has difficulty to read the {passing game|pass