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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, Jets, and Bears. Those franchises have endured years in quarterback purgatory, cycling between young players and placeholders. Meanwhile, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Five years. From Brady through Newton, Jones, Zappe, and Maye's rocky start to now: a young quarterback who appears to be a top-five starter and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Buffalo, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a visit to a lousy Saints team had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye all of four plays to answer, launching a long 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 deliver a strike deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in all parts of the field. His opening two quarters was so impressive that his alma mater was compelled to post. He finished 18-of-26 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 at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only the Chiefs' star, the Cowboys' QB, and Dan Marino have ever done that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into routine victories. 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 narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a stout front. Their defense gave up multiple chunk plays. This was a game that had to be won by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye was hit a few times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three touchdown passes under pressure, with each traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It’s not just the numbers. It’s Maye's demeanor. He’s self-assured and calm in the pocket, scanning options 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 initial hint of danger. But now, 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 just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his rookie year, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Now, he’s picking his moments. He has avoided a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts doubted his ability to read complex defenses and run a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third stint as New England's OC, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an experienced veteran.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots’ timeline. If there were to be second-year progress, 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 predictions. Six matches into his sophomore year, he’s become one of the league’s best – and he’s made the Patriots division contenders again.

Bears fans will find solace in seeing the development of Caleb Williams. But if you’re a Browns or Jets fan, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise QB arrives. And for the other NFL quarterback-starved franchises, it’s another example of how harsh and repetitive this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a 25 years searching – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about not constructing a bridge from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution now. Prepare for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight catches for over 150 yards and a score on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D set the tone, hounding Trevor Lawrence and dropping him a year-high seven times. But it was JSN who carried the Seattle's attack, accounting for all the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards via passing. That included 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 first play with his new team – a 61-yard touchdown.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of 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 touchdown of the year. The Chargers returned a 40-yard return on the following kick. From there, the Chargers' QB and his receiver seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two oncoming pass-rushers, dodging the initial before tossing the other to the deck. He located McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the winning kick.

It sums up the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his teammates as his offensive line struggles. And it sums up the Dolphins’ defense, too: a defensive pressure that can't complete sacks and a weak coverage. With the defeat, the Dolphins dropped to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for the Dolphins. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage the Jets' QB ended with in the New York Jets' close defeat to the Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Back 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