Rookie QBs compete as the Patriots visit the Bears

The Patriots are back on the road for the second straight season, traveling to Chicago to face first overall pick Caleb Williams and the 4-4 Bears.

New England is coming off its second overtime loss of the season after Drake Maye gave the team an extra frame with a stunning touchdown drive at the end of regulation at Tennessee. Maye’s development is paramount for New England, but getting input from the guards and arms around him has been a constant challenge and one they hope to overcome against the Bears.

What must Maye and his teammates do to beat a Bears team that hasn’t been beaten this season? Here are the 10 you should check out!

Drake Maye: Maye put the NFL on notice when he staged a comeback late in the game against the Titans that forced overtime. The Pats ended up losing, but Maye did enough despite his three turnovers to give fans reason to believe they have a rising star at the game’s most important position. What Maye needs to do in Chicago is obvious: Eliminating, or at least reducing, giveaways is crucial to getting his team back on track. The Patriots didn’t play well enough against Maye to give them much room for error, and no mistake is worse than turnovers, especially in a tied game late in the fourth quarter. Maye has all the talent, but like most young quarterbacks, his progress depends on eliminating the bad football.

Kendrick Bourne: Since returning to the team from the PUP list in Week 5, Bourne has been quiet, recording just four catches heading into Sunday’s game against the Titans. Bourne then matched his season total with four catches for 41 yards in one game, showing that the veteran receiver is finally getting up to speed and returning to the high level of play he showed in 2023 before his injury. The offense isn’t getting enough out of its wide receivers, but there’s reason to be optimistic that Bourne’s resurgence could be just the boost the team needs. A versatile player who is dangerous after the catch, Bourne has everything the Patriots need right now.

Patriots offensive line: The Pats offensive line continues to be one of the top storylines this season. Even with improved pass protection, posting the second-lowest pressure rate of the season (34.6% according to Next Gen Stats), their inability to open holes in the run game continues to hinder the entire offense. It finally looks like the OL are getting healthy again and have some continuity for themselves. It has to translate into improvement, especially on the ground, otherwise it will be a long struggle over the last nine games to find ways to move the ball and score points.

Patriots run defense: As with OL, run defense has been one of the main culprits this season. They rank 26th in DVOA and 26th in rushing yards allowed and were once again crushed on the ground, this time by the Titans (167 rushing yards). Chicago’s run game rating isn’t exactly stellar, they’re 22nd in DVOA and 23rd in rushing yards, but they have enough to still scare the Patriots’ defense, starting with dangerous defender D’Andre Swift. Getting the running game going is the easiest way for the Bears to take the pressure off Caleb Williams. The Pats frontline needs to be ready to play and stop an early Chicago ground attack.

Patriots Pass Rush Front: The Patriots’ defense posted its second-best pressure rate of the season (41.7%) against the Titans, but still only conceded a single sack and was unable to make the key plays necessary for the team’s victory , even if they received a red card zone stop in extra time that prevented the defeat. Williams presents another difficult task as the rushers must maintain their lane integrity and keep the Bears QB in the pocket, forcing him to go through reads and win from the pocket late on downs. Keion White leads the team with 33 pressures, while runner-up Deatrich Wise has less than half that total (15). However, White has been stuck with four sacks since Week 2. Like many spots, the Patriots need more production and, most importantly, need their pass rushers to finish or even rookie Williams will pick them apart.

Caleb Williams: The first overall pick led the Bears to a 4-4 record, throwing nine touchdowns with five interceptions. However, Williams has gone through a bit of a cold streak in two road losses to the Commanders and Cardinals in which the Bears combined to score just 24 points, failing to score a touchdown or even an interception. Still, Williams is a dangerous player, especially outside the pocket, where his ability to throw downfield on the move is a major problem for the Patriots’ defense. The Bears’ offense may have more weapons than New England’s, but neither has been effective this season, as the Patriots rank 31st in DVOA and the Bears rank 27th. Keeping Williams in check is one of the first keys to winning the game, although his playing skills will still be on display.

“He’s a very good player,” Jerod Mayo said of Williams this week. “This guy has the ability to extend plays. He is very athletic. I saw him come out a little bit and then really throw himself into the tape. This guy is very athletic. He’s hard to pin down. He has great vision in the pocket, and that’s what I would do.” Let’s say he scrambles more to make throws.