Rookie quarterbacks clash as Patriots face Bears

A meeting with the host Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon will mean more than the typical regular season game for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye, selected third overall in this year’s draft, is set to face No. 1 overall pick and fellow tight end Caleb Williams in a battle of friends-turned-foes. The two knew each other before entering the NFL, but Maye will look to tackle Sunday as usual.

“I think both as rookies, coming out as a quarterback, you spend a lot of time with these guys. You see them, some on visits, some at the combine. Really, with Caleb, I’ve seen him since high school.” Maye said. “We kept up with each other in college. We were friends and I loved watching him do his thing.

“Now I get a chance to compete. So anytime you’re going up against a rookie quarterback in the same class, or any quarterback in your class in general, it’s a little bit more.”

Both quarterbacks have already faced their share of adversity, with Maye having a 1-3 record as a starter while Williams is 4-4.

Most of the trouble Williams and the Bears (4-4) faced came in the last two games. Chicago was blown out 29-9 by the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday after falling 18-15 to the Washington Commanders on October 27th.

A third straight loss would not sit well with Bears coach Matt Eberflus.

“Whenever you lose two in a row in the NFL, there’s always a strong sense of urgency because you have to get that win column back,” Eberflus said. “This was no different than earlier in the year when we lost a couple in a row. It’s really the same. We have to find answers and find solutions to where we are right now.

“We’ve been moving in the right direction for three weeks and after the last couple, we’ve got to make sure we find answers right now.”

New England (2-7) nearly pulled off a miracle last Sunday, forcing overtime against the Tennessee Titans, when Maye outran multiple defenders to throw a game-tying 5-yard touchdown to Rhamondre Stevenson on the final play of regulation. The extra point made it 17-17.

However, Nick Folk kicked a 25-yard field goal to put Tennessee ahead in the extra session, and then Maye made a game-ending pick three plays later.

It was the third upset of the contest for Maye, who knows he needs to be sharper against Chicago.

“I think the Bears defense, it’s always going to be a physical defense,” Maye said. “They’re good up front. They’ve got some good guys. I feel like every D-line has some good guys on the edge. They’re going to chase the football, we preach ball security.”

The Patriots could be without safety Kyle Dugger (ankle) and linebacker Christian Elliss (abdomen) on Sunday. Both players missed Wednesday’s practice, while defensive end Keion White (knee) was among those limited.

Six injured Bears missed practice Wednesday, including Jaquan Brisker (concussion), defensive tackle Andrew Billings (pectoral) and defensive back Jaylon Jones (shoulder). Defensive end Montez Sweat (shin) practiced with limited ability, as did four others.

–Within field level