Williams, Maye Face Off in Thursday Night Showdown

Caleb Williams and Drake Maye meet Thursday night when the Chicago Bears host the New England Patriots in a Week 7 prime-time game. Both quarterbacks went early in the 2024 NFL Draft, and each must carry his team through a stretch that will reveal what he can do. This is their second NFL meeting. Chicago’s first went badly.

The First Meeting

Chicago entered its Week 10 game in 2024 at 4-4, favored by 6 points at home in Soldier Field. New England won 19-3. Williams completed 16 of 30 passes for 120 yards, took nine sacks and posted a 63.2 passer rating. TruMedia says his -0.42 expected points added per dropback remains the lowest mark in his 37 regular-season starts. Chicago managed one field goal in 11 possessions and had more three-and-outs than points. The defeat was the team’s third straight; Chicago would eventually lose 10 games in a row. Two days later, the Bears fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

Maye had a very different day. It was his fifth career start and fourth complete game. He made some eye-catching throws and began to take command of the locker room, including after he delivered a speech following a sloppy practice. Since then, his play has been MVP-caliber, and he has worked with a new head coach and coordinator.

Deep Throws and Scrambles

Maye’s biggest asset is his arm downfield. Last season, he was the league’s most effective deep-ball passer, despite an unimpressive group of receivers. A lack of patience early this season hurt him, but lately he’s gone back to attacking teams deep. Pro Football Focus credited him with 13 big-time throws on attempts of 20 or more yards this season, more than any quarterback in the league. His scrambles have also kept drives alive as the Patriots manage injuries at wide receiver. He has gained a first down on 41.2% of his scrambles, fourth among 13 quarterbacks with at least 20 rushes.

The growing pains remain. Maye threw 10 interceptions in 12 starts as a rookie. This year, he threw six picks in his first three games while pushing the ball downfield against defenses with two deep safeties. He’s thrown just one interception over the three games since. During the offseason, the Patriots ran unscripted drives, with Maye calling every play to sharpen his pre-snap reads and his ability to change plays when needed.

Williams Refines His Game

Williams completed 60% of his passes in his first two seasons. This spring and summer, the Bears coaching staff stressed a point-guard mentality: see the field, diagnose the defense and distribute the ball. Coach Ben Johnson wants a 70% completion rate. Entering Week 7, Williams’ 72.5% mark led all quarterbacks with at least 90 attempts, although he’d started only three games. He’s hit his primary targets when they were open and found checkdowns when needed.

His latest outing was his best. Williams completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards in Chicago’s 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Tom Brady, who won seven Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, called the game on Fox and said it might have been the sharpest performance of Williams’ career. Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor said, “It just came together pretty well for him in terms of putting the ball in play and putting the ball where our guys were able to do something with it.” Williams has worked to become more precise and efficient in Johnson’s system, and to rely more on his pass-catchers, whom he calls B.I.W., or “Best in the world.” He said, “I'm gonna keep putting the ball up in the air; you keep making catches. And from there, we'll keep growing.”

Williams said Tuesday that a production meeting with Hall of Famer Drew Brees earlier in the season showed him that three to four more completions per game could raise his completion percentage. “It's building confidence in myself, building confidence in the playbook, building confidence in my receivers and where they'll be even if I can't see them,” Williams said. “It's just putting the ball where they will be and then trusting them. That's what we've been doing.”

The Matchup Within the Matchup

The quarterbacks have known each other for years. Williams said, “I've grown up with Drake throughout the years. We've been in the same class for a while. We've been to so many camps (together). He's probably one of the guys I am closer to in my class or just overall on another team.” Maye praised him in return: “I don't know if I could do some of the things he can do. He's special in the way he can move and escape and evade pressure, and throwing on the run is pretty cool to watch.”

Both defenses pose a challenge. Elijah Ponder leads the Patriots in sacks this season, while Chicago has taken note of New England’s run defense and the back-end play of Christian Gonzalez and Kevin Byard. Johnson said the Patriots have strong fundamentals, shed blocks with purpose and tackle well. “And then schematically,” Johnson added, “they try to take away what you do best. That's the challenge.”

New England’s offensive line is stretched thin. The Patriots expect to start their fourth- and fifth-string guards and might be without starting right tackle Morgan Moses. Will Campbell, last year’s first-round pick, could be their most experienced offensive lineman Thursday. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said, “Their D-line is excellent.” Chicago ranks sixth in the NFL in pressure rate, at 39.5% of dropbacks, and fifth in sacks, with 17. Cornerback Kyler Gordon returned from injury and recorded three sacks in his first game of the season.

Vrabel has said he took the Patriots job because he wanted to work with Maye. Near the end of last season, he said, “There's nobody else I want as our quarterback.” Johnson put the challenge plainly: “The key with him and the rest of the guys is to stack good performances back to back to back. That's what the good ones do.”

Why This Matters: Two young quarterbacks must carry franchises that have struggled to build consistency, and the stakes for their development are real. Williams’ first meeting with New England ended with nine sacks, while the offensive line protecting him remains a recurring concern. Maye has risen as the Patriots contend with a thin offensive line and injured receivers, leaving him under greater pressure to make plays with his legs and arm. The outcome also depends on whether the quarterbacks get the protection and support they need to develop. Keeping young quarterbacks upright and giving teams the resources to do it is less about luck than how franchises invest in the people who carry them. Thursday’s matchup offers an early look at how well that investment is paying off.