If anyone remains on the fence about whether or not the Patriots have their guy in Drake Maye, the battle between gilded rookie quarterbacks in Chicago should prove the grass is greener on New England’s side.
It’s early. Really early. Bears rookie Caleb Williams put on clinics earlier in the season against Jacksonville and Carolina, while Sunday was the first full game Maye has won for the Patriots, 19-3.
And yet…qualifiers aside, Patriots fans can celebrate drafting the superior quarterback from the 2024 class – even if it’s just on this day. Maye demonstrated a strong and balanced approach to secure New England’s win. He didn’t run for 95 yards like he did against Tennessee, but he still pulled off a chunk play scrambling for 19 yards to start the fourth quarter. Rather than relying on just his legs to move the sticks, he spread the ball around to tight end Austin Hooper and wide receivers DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte.
His rough edges still showed and he got lucky – particularly on a red zone throw that was behind tight end Hunter Henry and should have resulted in his second interception of the day. His first was a botched attempt to throw the ball away.
But the Maye rollercoaster of wild stallion runs and turnovers is preferable to the offense of fits and starts Williams attempted to execute for the Bears. He finished the day with just 120 throwing yards, nine sacks, and a 53% completion rate. Chicago’s offensive line was in crisis, down to just six healthy men midway through the game. But come on. It’s not like the 1980’s Washington hogs were on the other side for New England, and Maye still generated 208 yards of his own offense, completing an impressive average of 7.4 yards per pass attempt.
And there’s this: Williams has an arsenal of weapons Maye can only pray to collect over his career. DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Keenan Allen would all be clear alpha pass catchers in Foxborough. With Williams at the helm, Chicago’s offense looked like a steak dinner left to rot in the sun. Imagine what Maye could do with those guys?
How about the so-called intangibles? It’s clear Maye is growing into a faster and smarter processor than he was in Chapel Hill. Considering leadership qualities, FOX sideline reporter Laura Okmin shared an interesting report during the game broadcast: after being “frustrated” by the way practice went early during the week, Maye asked offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt for the floor to refocus the team.
“Drake has addressed the offense numerous times. It goes back to, he’s really started to take control of the offense and the team,” head coach Jerod Mayo confirmed postgame.
Maye best showcased his command of the offense over the final two drives of the first half. He threaded three consecutive passes to Boutte and Douglas before finding Hooper for 24 yards. Typically this season, in the face of the two-minute warning, the Patriots offense devolves into a rendition of Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory. This time, Maye found butter finger-plagued receiver Ja’Lynn Polk in the endzone. It speaks volumes that when his team needed a score, Maye was able to put his trust in a fellow rookie who’s been through a rough patch in production. That’s a marriage of skill and leadership.
“I think JP, he’s finding it,” Maye said postgame, and added, “I hope that touchdown gives him confidence and he makes a lot of plays for us.”
Relish in this moment, New England. You got the right guy.