This time last year, draft speculators still saw the two quarterbacks who will face off in Sunday’s Patriots-Bears games as the Picks 1 and 2 in the 2024 draft. Seven months after they joined their respective franchises, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye measures up well against the top overall pick in most aspects of the professional game.
The Bears practically named Caleb Williams their starting quarterback as he walked off the tarmac at O’Hare, while Maye sat until Week 6, so the sample sizes are skewed. But, through Williams’ eight games and Maye’s 3.5 starts (excluding garbage time against the Jets and the second half of a victory also over the Jets when Maye had a head injury), their stats appear to reflect what each quarterback brings to the table.
In average passing yards per game, Maye has the edge with 213.7 through 3.5 games, while Williams has an average of 208.12. Williams has a few more notable individual game performances, including his four-touchdown game against Jacksonville and two games in which he threw for more than 300 yards. Importantly, Williams has also led his team to four wins. Maye’s only win as a starter came against the Jets, when Jacoby Brissett sealed the deal after he entered concussion protocol.
Maye also has the edge in rushing yards at an average of 56.29 yards per game, a number inflated by his 95 rushing yards last week. Just because the sample size is small doesn’t mean that individual performance wasn’t impressive, especially when considering the nonexistent ground game from the rest of the team. Williams averages 26.63 rushing yards per game. Both quarterbacks were able to run free far against the Jaguars.
The most telling statistic between the two quarterbacks may be fumbles. Maye has three fumbles through just 3.5 games, while Williams has four over the entirety of the season. Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has highlighted the importance of improving the rookie’s ball security.
“You’ve got to take care of the football. That’s one goal every week, is no giveaways for them, so he can keep improving there,” he said.
Much fuss was made over the situations highly-drafted rookie quarterbacks would enter this season, and although New England has shown to be as challenging an environment as previously advertised, Chicago’s supporting staff around Williams has underwhelmed. DJ Moore has a pedestrian 374 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns through eight games – well below his hyper-productive 2023 season. Rookie Rome Adunze is in a similar spot, though he’s had a few big games against Arizona and Indianapolis. But both wideouts would be welcome in New England, where Maye’s leading target outside of tight end Hunter Henry is DeMario Douglas at just 306 receiving yards.
In less-than-ideal situations and with the heavy expectations on their shoulders, both young quarterbacks should be commended for very promising starts to their careers. Patriots tackle Vederian Lowe spoke highly about how Maye’s knowledge of the game and approach has matured since training camp:
“It’s been a great thing to see, from coming in Day 1 to today. His command of the offense, command of the huddle. Me, as an O-lineman, it really helps to have a quarterback who knows what he’s talking about, who’s clear in his communication, gets everybody on the same page – all the little things outside of talent and outside of making plays. All those things, he came in and picked them up really quickly. That was a really good thing to see as a lineman, and gave me a lot more confidence in him.”
“With every play he makes, good or bad, Drake knows he’s a baller,” Lowe added. “He knows what he brings to the table. No matter if it’s a good play, or a bad play, he’s going to learn and keep rolling.”
Maye will keep rolling in Chicago on Sunday, where he hopes to land his first win finishing a game as a starter. Whoever wins the battle at Soldier Field, both franchises are well-positioned with the quarterbacks for the future.