On Thursday night, Drake Maye leads the 4-2 New England Patriots to Chicago to take on Caleb Williams and the 4-2 Bears. In a matchup between two of the NFL’s best teams, all eyes will be on which quarterback from the 2024 Draft Class will outplay the other.
Drake Maye
Drake Maye was selected by the Patriots with the third pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and has had a roller coaster of a start to his NFL career.
As a rookie, the former UNC Tar Heel sat behind veteran Jacoby Brissett to start the season. Maye would take on the starting role in Week 6 against the Texans and would go on to have a solid rookie season with a 15:10 TD-INT ratio and 2,697 total yards.
New England, in his 12 starts, would go 3-9 and draft his left tackle, Will Campbell, to protect his blindside for years to come.
Maye’s sophomore season would fare much better, as he put up MVP-caliber numbers with a 31:8 TD-INT ratio and 4,844 total yards. He also brought New England back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2018.
Through six games this season, Maye got off to a rocky start with one touchdown to six interceptions through three games. However, in Weeks 4-6, Maye has been on a heater with 10 touchdowns compared to one interception.
Caleb Williams
After an illustrious career split between Oklahoma and USC that included a Heisman Trophy with USC, Williams was selected first overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Contrary to Maye, Williams started every game in his rookie season. He put together a 20:6 TD-INT ratio to go along with 4,030 total yards.
Similar to Maye, Williams took a year-two jump, with a 27:7 TD-INT ratio and 4,330 total yards, leading the Bears to their first NFC North division title since 2018 and a Wild Card victory over the Packers.
Williams’ third season has been ravaged by a hamstring tear, but in the three games he’s played, he has a 3:1 TD-INT ratio. Chicago has also rallied around its quarterback with a 4-2 record heading into Thursday’s matchup.
Class of ’24 Showdown
Heading into Thursday’s matchup, both teams sit at 4-2 through six games. Look for plenty of fireworks as two of the league’s best young signal callers take center stage in what should be a high-scoring affair.
