The Patriots haven’t produced many positive storylines this season, and if they have, rookie quarterback Drake Maye is primarily involved.
The Bears are in a similar boat, with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams serving as the biggest source of hope in an otherwise disappointing season.
New England and Chicago will lean on those rookie signal-callers to pull them out of a rut on Sunday at Soldier Field. Maye will be looking for his first win. Williams will try to get his team back on track. It’s going to be an interesting matchup, which is conducive to bold predictions:
MAYE > WILLIAMS
Maye and Williams are going to grab all the headlines this week, and rightfully so. The Patriots and Bears both appear to have found their franchise quarterbacks, and this matchup could be a major statement game for either.
We think it’ll favor the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, however.
Maye has found ways to elevate New England’s offense throughout his first month as starter, and there’s an opportunity for the unit to take another step against a suddenly reeling Chicago defense. Williams has a few problems to contend with, too — which we’ll get into next — so we believe the battle of rookie QBs will favor the later pick.
Prediction: Drake Maye finishes with more yards and touchdowns than Caleb Williams.
WHITE RENAISSANCE
The Bears ruled out starting offensive tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright, as well as primary backup Kiran Amegadjie, for Sunday.
Keion White hasn’t gotten to the quarterback since Week 2, but we don’t care. It’s going to be a feast for the 25-year-old.
Prediction: Keion White records two sacks of Caleb Williams.
CALEB’S NIGHTMARE
Chicago’s problems up front are too big to gloss over, with Williams already having major issues trusting his pocket after being sacked 29 times in his young career. New England typically struggles with players who can make off-schedule plays, but the lack of consistency on the other side should provide opportunities to turn the ball over.
White’s emergence as a pass-rusher could help, but we expect there to be a couple head-scratching plays from the former top pick in the draft.
Prediction: New England forces two takeaways.
