Two of the best young quarterbacks in football will go head-to-head on Sunday in Chicago.
Maybe you’ve heard of it.
Bears rookie Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick last April, has started every game this season. He has completed 61.4% of his passes for 1,665 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. At 4-4, Chicago is fully in the NFC playoff hunt.
And then there’s Drake Maye, the third pick in the draft and the biggest reason for hope for the Patriots amid a difficult Year 1 of their rebuild. Maye has scored seven touchdowns, thrown four picks and led the Pats in rushing since taking over as starter in Week 6. This week, Maye shared that he has known Williams since high school, when they often participated in camps and quarterback shows.
Maye and Williams will reunite for the first time as pros at a crucial point in their respective campaigns. So who will win?
This is what you should pay attention to on Sunday:
When the patriots run
It’s a reset game plan for the Patriots.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson and left tackle Vederian Lowe told the Herald this week that the offense is focused on returning to its run-first roots after accumulating just 89 rushing yards on designed runs in the last three games. The Patriots suffered a decisive loss at the line of scrimmage last week, as Stevenson finished with just 16 rushing yards and a touchdown at Tennessee. Their most effective runs this season have often been on the inside, where the offense should be able to attack a weakened Bears defense.
Chicago ruled out starting defensive tackle Andrew Billings with a torn pectoral muscle. That will put more pressure on athletic linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards to fly up and make stops. If Mike Onwenu and the Pats’ other offensive linemen routinely reach them at the second level, that should mean big wins for Stevenson.
When the Patriots pass
When asked this week where he can improve after four starts, Maye was quick to point to his turnovers. He has thrown four interceptions and lost a fumble. Maye knows the Bears will be chasing more.
“They go after the football, we preach ball safety,” he said. “They play a lot of zone, so I think we have to find time and zone coverage, where we have to find guys open and let guys get distance after the catch.”
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry hauls in a pass while being defended by New York Jets’ Isaiah Oliver during the fourth quarter of last Sunday’s game. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
Against Chicago’s preferred zone defense, expect Maye to attack up the middle with tight end Hunter Henry and preferred slot option DeMario Douglas. According to Sports Info, Henry has seen the 10th most targets against the zone among all NFL pass catchers. Solutions, while Douglas is the Pats’ biggest threat. One area Maye likely won’t attack: wherever Jaylon Johnson is. The Bears’ shutdown outside corner is one of the best in the league.
When the bears run
Wow boy.
The Patriots continue to leak like a broken faucet against the run, allowing 167 per game last week and over 170 last month. Next up is Bears running back D’Andre Swift, who has 505 rushing yards and four touchdowns this season.
The good news is that Chicago’s offensive line is in terrible disarray, which should create opportunities to build a wall along the line of scrimmage versus a few backups. The key will be a rebound from defensive lineman Davon Godchaux, the Pats’ top run-stopper, who has been anything but the last two weeks.
When the bears pass
Like the Patriots, the Bears drafted a quarterback and a wide receiver with their top picks last April. That new receiver, Rome Odunze, is now their No. 1 option.
Odunze leads Chicago with 391 receiving yards, including a 100-yard performance last week at Arizona. He trails veteran DJ Moore in total catches (37) and touchdowns (3), but is more dangerous as a deep threat. After Odunze and Moore, tight end Cole Kmet is the only receiver with more than 300 yards and three touchdowns, while Swift and Keenan Allen (21 catches, 197 yards) aren’t far behind.
It will be interesting to see if Christian Gonzalez shadows the Bears’ best wideouts at cornerback No. 1. But perhaps it suits their defense to play like Chicago’s, leaning on a zone-heavy scheme that provides equal protection against all receivers and can keep an eye on Williams. Because even when he drops back, Williams is a dangerous threat to run or create a big play over the top, something coach Jerod Mayo emphasized several times this week.
“This guy is very athletic. He’s elusive,” Mayo said of Williams. “He has great pocket vision, and I would say he puts more effort into making throws. Not so much – on the other hand, if you go against a few quarterbacks there, they will take off and get on the field. I’m not saying he doesn’t, but he certainly does a good job of keeping his eyes on the field and making those throws.”
Game choice
Bears 27, Patriots 23
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