FOXBORO — Drake Maye smiled when asked if there was anything about Caleb Williams’ game that he’d like to steal and make a part of his own.
“Him in the pocket, I don’t know if I could do some of the things he can do,” Maye said. “He’s special in the way he can move and kind of escape and evade pressure, and throwing on the run. It’s pretty cool to watch. I don’t know if I’m that shifty in the pocket.
“He can do some cool things, and he’s got crazy arm talent. … But no, I don’t know if I’m flexible enough to try some of those things. But I think the way he plays the game is cool, and I know he’s doing a great job.”
While their physical skill sets may differ, there is little doubt that both Maye and Williams represent a look into the future at the most important position in football.
Both are just 24 years old. Both possess the kind of tantalizing God-given talent for which front offices yearn. And both have already exhibited a preternatural penchant for generating explosive plays.
But the future, in this case, may be closer than you think. Their games are maturing.
After three rocky weeks to start the season, giving away seven turnovers in that span, Maye has thrown 10 touchdowns and just one interception in the three weeks since. He’s played like a quarterback who has a greater level of trust in what’s around him, and his ability to limit mistakes while still hunting big plays — his EPA per play (0.485), success rate (55.9 percent) and air yards (9.7) are all tops in the NFL in the last three weeks — has him looking like the MVP runner-up he was in 2025.
Williams, meanwhile, ranks first in completion percentage this season (72.5 percent) after placing 32nd in that category a season ago (58.1). And while it’s a small sample of just three games, in his second season with coach Ben Johnson he also appears to be willing to play a much more conservative brand of football while still harnessing the ability to cook up an eyes-sprung-from-your-sockets highlight every so often. Williams is 32nd out of 33 qualifiers in air yards per attempt (5.8) after ranking ninth in that category a season ago (8.4). Yet despite his throws being shorter on average, he’s been extremely efficient with a 0.23 EPA per dropback figure this year, which ranks fifth.
Of course, both Maye and Williams have run into the challenges associated with being too trusting of their outsized abilities at the position. They’ve played “hero ball” at times — and paid for it — and those types of mistakes will likely pop up again at times in the future.
But early in their third seasons, they’ve shown an understanding that wielding a strong right arm is only as valuable as the patience they exhibit in choosing when to unleash it.
Understanding the two quarterbacks will have the loudest say in the outcome on Thursday night in Chicago, let’s get to some of the other critical matchups in what could very well be one of the most entertaining games of the 2026 regular season.
MATCHUP THAT COULD DETERMINE THE OUTCOME
Patriots backup offensive linemen vs. Dennis Allen
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel announced on Wednesday that reserve guards Walter Rouse (left guard) and Matt Pryor (right guard) will start against the Bears. Both acquitted themselves nicely in Week 6 against the Jets, particularly during the four-minute offense to bleed the clock at the end of the win, helping Corey Kiner rip off eight consecutive runs for 42 yards.
“It was fun to watch those guys take advantage of the opportunity,” Vrabel said this week. “They helped us. There was a huge drive at the end of the game, to go down there and be able to take time off of the clock.”
While Rouse, Pryor and center Jared Wilson have been busy this week ironing out their communication in preparation for the Bears, Chicago’s defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will challenge them with exotic looks on third down. They are the owners of the league’s best third-down defense when it comes to EPA per play (-0.52), and their league-best sack rate on third down (16.4) is helped by a 40 percent third-down blitz rate, which ranks ninth in the NFL.
“He has the ability to game-plan and change things up,” Vrabel said of Allen. “Based on what you see, it looked like there were some different things each week that maybe you thought were going to repeat that maybe didn’t necessarily repeat, which is a testament to coaching, but also to the players that understand how they need to adjust and how they’re playing certain things. Dennis is an excellent football coach, but third down is something where he’s probably made his mark.”
If the Patriots can run the ball on early downs, perhaps that will allow them to stay out of dangerous third-and-long situations. And there is some evidence to suggest Vrabel’s offense should be able to move the ball by handing off. The Bears are allowing 4.5 yards per carry and an average of 1.52 yards before contact per carry, both of which rank 24th in the NFL. On first and second down combined, Chicago is 29th in EPA per play allowed and 27th in EPA per rush allowed.
MATCHUP THAT WILL MAKE YOUR SUNDAY … ON THURSDAY
A.J. Brown vs. Jaylon Johnson
Things couldn’t have gone much worse for A.J. Brown in his return to action against the Jets in Week 6. He was credited with three drops, and he had five passes in all that looked like they could have been caught, given Brown’s past as a contested-catch wizard. He also had a fumble (which he recovered), and an onside kick bounced off his hands in crunch time (the Patriots recovered).
Brown did, however, create some separation throughout the afternoon. Rather than taking that as a silver lining, Brown seemed to want to move past the ordeal altogether when speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
“I think that was the hardest part, you know, getting open,” he said. “I just didn’t make the play. I’m not really going backwards because it’s over with now. You know, I watched the film, I put it to bed. I’m looking forward.”
Drake Maye targeted Brown 10 times, officially, against the Jets. It looked like there was an 11th target sent his way that was knocked down by Hunter Henry, which would’ve meant Brown saw more than a third of Maye’s total attempts in the game (32). Brown should be busy once again this week with starting wideout Romeo Doubs on injured reserve with a shoulder issue.
Asked about his expectations for Brown on Thursday, Maye insisted he wasn’t worried about his No. 1 wideout.
“It’s A.J. Brown,” Maye said. “Last week is what it is. I wish I had some throws back and attempts I targeted his way.”
What awaits Brown in Chicago might be a get-right matchup against corner Jaylon Johnson, who has allowed the third-most yards per reception (17.5) and the fourth-most yards (332) among qualified corners this season. Johnson has played left corner on 91.8 percent of his snaps this season, per NextGen Stats, and could see a lot of Brown, who saw seven of his targets while aligned on the offensive right last week.
Maye might like targeting Johnson down the field — whether he’s covering Brown or not — since the QB has been prolific on passes of 10 or more air yards since Week 4. His 493 downfield passing yards leads the league in that span, and Johnson’s 284 downfield yards allowed this season is third-most among corners.
MATCHUP THAT WILL TAKE YEARS OFF YOUR LIFE
Ben Johnson vs. Patriots run defense
Patriots safety Kevin Byard is one of the few who knows what it’s like to play for both Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel, having spent last season in Chicago.
“I would say they’re definitely different personality-wise,” Byard said. “How they run things is a little bit different. But I will say they want to impose their will on the other football team, whether it’s physically running the ball or whatever it may be. Those philosophies are definitely the same.”
The way Johnson has structured his offensive attack this season is evidence of that hit-you-in-the-mouth philosophy. The Bears have used multi-tight end sets on 51.9 percent of plays this season (most in the NFL), and — as was the case in 2025 — they continue to be a condensed-formation offense that wallops defenses with physicality. They lead the league in rush yards per game (160.7), they’re 11th in yards per rush (4.5), second in rushing touchdowns (13) and third in rush attempts that have gone for 10 or more yards (23).
They aren’t as efficient running the football as they’d like, in all likelihood, since their advanced metrics are slightly below average — 20th in success rate (39.4), 18th in EPA per rush (-0.07) — but bracing for a varied rushing attack that will feature both gap and zone concepts is something the Patriots will have to do.
After having a difficult time in Week 6 containing 235-pound back Braelon Allen, the Patriots will look to stop D’Andre Swift on Thursday Night Football. They rank 14th in EPA per rush allowed and they’re 12th in yards per rush allowed (3.9). While they’ve been excellent at getting to opposing backs quickly (0.58 yards before contact per rush, first in the NFL), they’ve struggled at times to get ball-carriers down quickly (3.37 yards after contact per rush, 29th).
MATCHUP THAT MIGHT SURPRISE YOU
Caleb Williams vs. Patriots pass defense
Williams has been among the most efficient quarterbacks in football thus far this season, but if defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr can cook up ways to pressure him … the Patriots may be able to limit the electricity Williams hopes to generate.
Williams has been sacked nine times in three games, which is the most of any three-game stretch for him dating back to the start of last season. His pressure rate (42.5 percent) is fourth-highest in the NFL, his quarterback rating under pressure (49.6) and yards per attempt under pressure (4.1) are both 27th among 33 qualifying quarterbacks.
No quarterback, per NextGen, has been blitzed more this season than Williams (53.1 percent). When blitzed, Williams’ rating is below average at 85.2 (21st in the NFL). His yards per attempt when blitzed is 6.8 (18th) and his completion percentage over expected (an accuracy metric) is 27th.
It’ll be worth watching if Kuhr opts to blitz and play man-to-man behind it, which has been one of his preferred approaches when corner Christian Gonzalez is healthy and available. Williams is athletic enough to burn man-to-man with his legs if second and third-level defenders have their backs turned to him in the pocket. That is likely part of the reason Williams has seen the third-lowest man-to-man rate among all quarterbacks this season (14.2 percent).
Williams is coming off a hamstring injury that might make him less likely to scramble to run. But he did create some second-reaction plays out of structure at times in a win over the Falcons last weekend, showing off his athletic gifts.
Vrabel explained this week that the Patriots will have to be prepared for him to get out on the move against them in prime time.
“I’m not buying that lie,” Vrabel said when asked about Williams’ limitations due to his hamstring. “I hope the players don’t either. He’s as fast as he needs to be, I’ll say that.”
PREDICTION
Patriots 27, Bears 24
