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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have endured years in quarterback purgatory, rotating through young players and placeholders. In contrast, after only half a decade of searching, the New England Patriots – the after-Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered the guy.

Half a decade. From Brady to Cam Newton to Mac Jones to Bailey Zappe to Maye’s first choppy season to this: a young quarterback who appears to be a elite player and MVP candidate.

His breakout performance came last week: a victory away in Orchard Park, where Maye went throw-for-throw with the Bills' star and surpassed the reigning MVP in the final period. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been even more impressive. Coming off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a lousy Saints team had potential for a letdown. And the Saints teased an upset. They executed a large gain on the opening snap of the game, before stalling out in the red zone and settling for a three points. It took Maye all of four plays to respond, launching a long deep ball to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead touchdown.

Drake Maye connects with Pop Douglas on a 53-yard bomb!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the protection to deliver a perfect pass downfield. After that, he didn’t let up: Maye dominated the Saints in every area of the field. His first half was so impressive that even North Carolina was compelled to post. He finished 18 completions on 26 attempts for over 250 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it might have been better if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with at least 200 yards and a passer rating above 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, the Cowboys' QB, and the Hall of Famer have ever done that at age 23 or younger.

The best quarterbacks 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 flawless play to narrowly defeat the Saints. They couldn’t run the ball against a strong defensive line. Their defense allowed multiple big gains. This was a contest decided by Maye's passing. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the defensive pressure was continuous. It didn’t matter. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with all three traveling 20 yards or more in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s self-assured and calm in the protection, bouncing through reads to locate receivers. When needed, he can take off and create with his legs. 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, conforming to the confines of the system and getting the ball to the right spot quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s halved his risky play percentage from his rookie year, when he was always attempting to create plays out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a turnover-worthy play in three games.

Coming out of college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators questioned his capacity to process sophisticated coverages and run a detailed system. Too loose. Overly risky. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unlocked the full breadth of his playbook. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving weekly again, and Maye is leading the attack like an eight-year vet.

His growth 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 highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to cut his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be progress. Instead, Maye has exceeded expectations. Six matches into his second season, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots playoff hopefuls once more.

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 teams lacking QBs, it’s yet another reminder of how cruel and cyclical this sport can be. The Patriots went from the greatest of all time to a possible great in five years. Some teams spend a quarter of a century looking – and never locate a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond winning games. It changes the personality of a fanbase and organization. For two decades, the Pats lived the privileged existence. But the last few seasons have been about failing to build a transition from Brady to whatever would come next. They’ve discovered the solution today. Prepare for your Masshole friends to regain their Brady-era bluster.

MVP of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle. Against a stifling Jaguars defense, Seattle’s only way forward was for Sam Darnold to target Smith-Njigba, constantly. The wideout answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets, as the Seahawks edged the Jaguars by eight points. Seattle’s defense set the tone, 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 team's early yards via passing. That featured a 61-yard touchdown 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 TD.

Video of the Week

The Dolphins were on the losing end of yet another frustrating, last-minute loss. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers returned a 40-yard kickoff on the ensuing kickoff. From there, the Chargers' QB and Ladd McConkey seized control.

WILD PLAY BY HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is mean. Amazingly, Herbert escaped two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He located his target in the short area, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to move the ball in position for the game-winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: squeaking by on the brilliance of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it reflects the Miami's D, too: a pass-rush that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to 1-5. Painful late-game failures have become standard for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s losing time to save his job.

Notable Statistic

Negative 10. That’s the passing yardage Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ 13-11 loss to the Broncos in the UK. It’s the lowest in any game since the Chargers had minus-19 in 1998. Even then, the Chargers started Ryan Leaf making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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