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It's hard not to sympathize with the Browns, Jets, and Chicago Bears. These teams have spent decades in quarterback purgatory, rotating through prospects and placeholders. Meanwhile, after just five years of looking, the New England Patriots – the after-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 top-five starter and MVP candidate.

Last week was his breakout: a road win in Orchard Park, where Maye matched throws with Josh Allen and outplayed the current MVP in the fourth quarter. But the Saints game on Sunday may have been more remarkable. Fresh off an upset win over the division leaders, a trip to a struggling Saints squad had potential for a letdown. And the Saints threatened early. They executed a big play on the first play of the game, before faltering in the red zone and opting for a three points. It took Maye just four snaps to respond, uncorking a long pass to Pop Douglas for the go-ahead score.

Drake Maye goes 53 yards deep to Pop Douglas!

It was Maye in peak form, climbing through the protection to deliver a perfect pass downfield. From there, he kept pushing: Maye torched the Saints in every area of the playing surface. His opening two quarters was so searing that his alma mater was forced to tweet. He finished 18-of-26 for over 250 yards with three touchdowns and zero giveaways. And it could have been more if not for a trio of debatable referee decisions.

It was his fifth consecutive outing with over 200 yards and a passer rating north of 100. Only Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, and the Hall of Famer have achieved that at 23 years old or less.

The top QBs convert tough away matches into ho-hum wins. They don’t put the ball in harm’s way, 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 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 passing. And he performed under pressure.

Maye was hit a several times and tackled once, but the defensive pressure was constant. It made no difference. Maye threw all three scoring throws under pressure, with each going over 20 yards in the air.

It's beyond statistics. It’s how Maye carries himself. He’s confident and composed in the pocket, scanning options to find open targets. When necessary, he can take off and create with his legs. As a rookie, he was a little chaotic, fleeing the pocket at the initial hint of danger. But now, he’s been reminiscent of Brady, adapting to the confines of the scheme and getting the ball where it needs to go quickly.

This year, Maye is up to 10 TD passes, two running scores and just two interceptions. He’s reduced by half his risky play percentage from his debut season, when he was constantly trying to conjure magic out of failed schemes. Currently, he’s choosing wisely. He has avoided a turnover-worthy play in three games.

After college, Maye was billed as a big-armed bomber. Evaluators doubted his capacity to read complex defenses and operate a complex offense. Too loose. Too reckless. But Josh McDaniels, in his third tour as New England's OC, has unleashed the entire range of his scheme. Maye isn't restricted; he’s being relied on. The Patriots are evolving each week once more, and Maye is piloting the attack like an experienced veteran.

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 exist the spectacular passes, while Maye used the year trying to reduce his brain-farts-per-game in half. That would be improvement. In contrast, 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 division contenders again.

Chicago supporters will take some comfort in witnessing the progress 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 teams lacking QBs, it’s another example of how cruel and cyclical this game can be. The Patriots went from the GOAT to a potential star in five years. Certain franchises spend a quarter of a century looking – and still don’t find a solution.

Securing a franchise quarterback is about beyond victories. It changes the personality of a fan base and organization. For 20 years, the Patriots enjoyed the privileged existence. But the recent years have been about not constructing a transition from Brady to the next era. They’ve discovered the solution now. Get ready for your New England pals to rediscover their Brady-era bluster.

Player of the Week

JSN, WR, Seattle Seahawks. Against a tough Jacksonville D, Seattle's sole option was for Sam Darnold to look for JSN, constantly. The wideout answered with eight receptions for 162 yards and a touchdown on 13 attempts, as the Seahawks edged the Jags 20-12. The Seahawks' D led the way, 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 the first 117 of the Seahawks’ initial 117 yards through the air. That featured a long TD and maybe the nastiest 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.

Highlight of the Week

The Miami Dolphins were on the losing end of another disappointing, late defeat. They took a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Chargers with under a minute remaining, after their QB found his tight end for his fourth touchdown of the year. 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.

Hoo boy. That is brutal. Amazingly, Herbert was able to evade two defenders, slipping past the initial before throwing the second to the deck. He found McConkey in the flat, who put a Dolphins’ corner on skates to advance in position for the game-winning field goal.

It exemplifies the Chargers’ season: squeaking by on the brilliance of Herbert and his surrounding playmakers as his protection 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. Miserable second-half collapses have become common for the Dolphins. With another defeat, he’s running out of time to save his job.

Stat of the Week

Minus-10. That’s the net passing yards Justin Fields finished with in the New York Jets' 13-11 loss to the Broncos in London. It’s the fewest in any game since the Chargers had negative 19 in the late 90s. Even then, the Chargers started a rookie making his third professional start. Fields was in his 49th start.

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