Two of the top quarterbacks taken in the 2024 NFL Draft will square off against each other for the first time Sunday when Drake Maye and the New England Patriots play Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears in a Week 10 game at Soldier Field.
The Bears selected Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, while the Patriots selected Maye with the No. 3 pick. Both players face enormous expectations to help revive iconic franchises that haven't reached the playoffs in several years.
Maye and Williams have actually known each other for a while. After never going head-to-head in college, these two young quarterbacks will get a chance to share the field as pros this weekend.
"With Caleb, I've seen him since high school," Maye told reporters at a press conference Wednesday. "We’d go to the same camps. We were at the Elite 11 (camp) with each other. We got some college visits together. So, the whole thing, going through the process again.
"We kept up with each other in college. We were friends, and I enjoyed watching him do his thing. Now I get a chance to compete. So, anytime you're going against a rookie quarterback in the same class, or any quarterback in your class in general, it's a little extra. I'm looking forward to going out there and getting a chance to play the Bears."
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Maye and Williams are two of the most athletic quarterbacks in the sport. When the pocket breaks down, they can escape the pass rush and pick up a bunch of yards with their legs. Both players have tallied more than 200 rushing yards so far this season. They can also throw on the run and play off script. These abilities make them difficult to defend.
What has impressed Maye the most when he watches Williams on film?
"I think the play is never over with Caleb," Maye explained. "That's the biggest thing. I think it's his talent of throwing, making difficult throws. The normal, the regular eye of your quarterback, you kind of see, ‘man, that's a good throw.’ I think watching them play the Jags earlier this year, he hit Keenan Allen on a little seam, back shoulder.
"You see throws like that, and you take that for granted. He's just so talented. I think, like I said, getting to know him and seeing him compete. We've never played each other, so it's the first time, so it'll be pretty cool."
Williams has started every game for the Bears, while Maye made his debut at the end of the Patriots' Week 3 loss and has started the last four games.
Here's a look at their stats through nine weeks.
- Caleb Williams: 162-of-264 (61.4 percent) for 1,665 yards, nine touchdowns, five interceptions
- Drake Maye: 82-of-125 (65.6 percent) for 770 yards, six touchdowns, four interceptions
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Maye has a tough test coming up Sunday against a Bears defense that ranks top 10 in passing yards allowed per game, opposing QB completion percentage and opposing QB rating.
"I think the Bears defense, they're always going to be a physical defense. They're good up front," Maye said. "They have some good edge guys. I feel like every D-line has got some good guys on the edge. They're going to go after the football, we’re preaching ball security. They play a lot of zone, so I think we're going to have to find times and zone covers, where we've got to find guys open and make guys make yardage after the catch.
"Then they're going to sprinkle in some man, so win the one-on-ones. I think they're good up front. I think (Tremaine) Edmunds in the middle is a good player. On the edge, like I said, they've got Montez (Sweat). They got a lockdown corner in this league that you've got to be mindful of. They can do a lot of different things. I think they've played some good defense this year. We've got a tough challenge."
Protecting the football will be of the utmost importance for Maye and the Patriots on Sunday. Maye has played very well in his four starts, but he's also committed six turnovers (four interceptions, two fumbles) in those games. The Patriots have a razor thin margin of error due to their lack of talent, so it's critical they don't make self-inflicted mistakes like turnovers.
