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It's hard not to sympathize with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. Those franchises have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, cycling between prospects and temporary starters. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the post-Tom Brady Patriots – seem to have discovered their man.

Half a decade. 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 Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the final period. But Sunday in New Orleans may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division favorites, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had risk of a slump. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a large gain on the first play of the game, before faltering in the redzone and settling for a field goal. It took Maye just four snaps to answer, uncorking a 53-yard deep ball to Pop Douglas for the leading touchdown.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye at his best, climbing through the pocket to deliver a perfect pass deep. After that, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His first half was so impressive that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He ended 18 completions on 26 attempts for 261 yards with three scores and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a series of debatable referee decisions.

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

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 flawless play to squeeze by 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 right arm. And he delivered under fire.

Maye took hits a several times and sacked once, but the pressure he faced was continuous. It made no difference. Maye passed all three scoring throws under pressure, with each 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 find open targets. When necessary, 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 now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, conforming to the confines of the system and getting the ball where it needs to go in a hurry.

For the season, Maye is up to 10 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his Turnover Worthy Play rate from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of broken plays. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He hasn’t committed a TWP in three games.

After college, Maye was touted as a big-armed bomber. Scouts questioned his ability to read complex defenses and operate a detailed system. Overly casual. Overly risky. But the offensive coordinator, in his third tour as Patriots offensive coordinator, has unleashed the full breadth of his scheme. Maye isn’t being limited; he’s being trusted. The Patriots are evolving weekly once more, and Maye is piloting the offense like an eight-year vet.

His growth has accelerated the Patriots' schedule. If there were to be sophomore improvement, you imagined it would be a gradual process. There would still be the highlight throws, while Maye spent the year trying to reduce his mental errors in half. That would be improvement. Instead, Maye has smashed predictions. Six games into his sophomore year, he’s turned into one of the NFL's top players – and he’s transformed the Patriots into playoff hopefuls once more.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in seeing the progress of their rookie QB. But if you’re a Cleveland or New York follower, you have to wince. Because this is the ideal scenario when a franchise quarterback arrives. And for the rest of the league’s 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 quarter of a century looking – and still don’t find anyone.

Finding a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the personality of a fanbase and franchise. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about failing to build a transition 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.

MVP of the Week

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for their QB to target JSN, anywhere and everywhere. The receiver answered with eight catches for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags by eight points. The Seahawks' D led the way, pressuring the Jaguars' QB and sacking him a year-high seven times. But it was Smith-Njigba who supported the Seahawks’ offense, making up all the first 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.

Highlight of the Week

The Dolphins were on the wrong side of another frustrating, late defeat. They gained a narrow lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with 48 seconds left, after their QB found Darren Waller for his fourth score of the season. The Chargers then popped a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff. Then, Justin Herbert and his receiver took over.

INCREDIBLE PLAY FROM HERBERT AND MCCONKEY.

Wow. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before tossing the other to the ground. He found his target in the short area, who faked out a defender to move the ball in position for the winning kick.

It exemplifies the Chargers' year: narrowly winning on the excellence of their QB and his teammates as his offensive line flails. And it sums up the Miami's D, too: a defensive pressure that struggles to finish and a floundering secondary. With the defeat, the Dolphins fell to one win and five losses. Painful late-game failures have become common for Mike McDaniel’s team. With another rough loss, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Negative 10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the Jets’ close defeat to the Denver Broncos in London. It’s the lowest in any game since the San Diego Chargers had minus-19 in the late 90s. Back then, the Chargers had a rookie making his third game. Fields was in his 49th start.

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