Week 7 opens with a quarterback showcase that should have plenty of eyes on it. The Chicago Bears and New England Patriots meet Thursday night, and the draw is obvious: Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, two of the most electric young passers in the league, going head-to-head.
Williams has looked like a quarterback taking the next step. Outside of the weeks he missed because of a hamstring injury, he has kept the Bears moving, still flashing the explosive plays that have been part of his game since USC while also doing a better job of staying on schedule and taking what the defense gives him.
Maye’s rise has been just as loud, though his season has taken a different path. He stormed through 2025, finished as the MVP runner-up and pushed the Patriots all the way to the Super Bowl.
This year opened slowly, with turnover issues during New England’s 1-2 start. But the last three weeks have flipped the script: Maye has thrown 10 touchdown passes and only one interception in three straight wins, helping lift the Patriots to 4-2 and firmly into the AFC playoff mix.
That recent surge has been fueled by his deep passing. Last season, Maye was one of the best in football at attacking downfield, and after a rough opening stretch in 2026, he has rediscovered that touch.
Over the first three weeks, he went just 4-of-12 for 160 yards with four interceptions on throws of 20 or more air yards. In the last three games, though, he has bounced back hard, going 8-of-15 for 279 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions on those same throws.
Romeo Doubs has been a big part of that downfield damage, but he is now out with a shoulder injury. A.J. Brown is back, though, and his return should give Maye another weapon to stretch the field.
The Bears have been competitive on defense, but they have also been vulnerable where it hurts most against a quarterback like Maye. Free-agent addition Coby Bryant has not played because of injury, and Jaylon Johnson has not quite been at his usual level at corner.
According to Next Gen Stats, Chicago has allowed the most yards per game and the third-highest EPA per pass on deep throws. That is the area New England is likely to attack.
Still, Chicago got a significant boost last week with the return of Kyler Gordon. He made his season debut in Week 6 and wasted no time changing the tone of Dennis Allen’s defense.
Gordon was on the field for just 17 snaps on Sunday, but he made an impact as a blitzer, getting after the quarterback. He was targeted once in coverage and did not allow a catch, while also recording three sacks and two forced fumbles.
His presence also shifted how the Bears played defense. Their 56.4% blitz rate on Sunday was their highest of the season, per Next Gen Stats. Maye has handled pressure fairly well this year - he sits on the fringe of the top 10 in most blitz metrics - but with Doubs out and Brown still shaking off the rust in his first game back, Allen may decide pressure is the best way to throw him off rhythm.
On the other side, Williams has become a different kind of problem. In 2025, he was volatile, making plenty of highlight-reel throws but leaving too many easy yards behind. In 2026, he has become far more controlled from the pocket and much better down to down.
The numbers reflect that change, even if they are less flashy. His 5.8 air yards per attempt are tied with Bo Nix for the lowest among qualified passers through six weeks, according to Next Gen Stats. Just 4.4% of his attempts are traveling 20 or more air yards, the lowest rate in the league.
But that conservative profile has come with real efficiency. Williams is completing 72.5% of his passes, the best mark in the NFL, and that is more than 14% higher than last season.
His EPA per dropback has climbed to +0.23 after sitting at +0.05 a year ago. The sample is still small, but he has looked comfortable and effective in his second season in Ben Johnson’s offense.
Chicago’s ground game will again be part of the setup, even with Kyle Monangai still out. That should help Johnson lean on play-action and create chances for Williams in the intermediate part of the field.
That could matter a lot against a Patriots defense that has struggled in that area. New England is allowing 0.77 EPA per pass on intermediate throws, the fifth-highest figure in the NFL. Williams may prefer the shorter game right now, but there should be openings for bigger gains if the Bears can get him into those play-action looks.
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That kind of hit naturally sends the conversation toward the trade market, and one name worth watching is Clevelands Jerry Jeudy. Hes in the final year of his deal and has the sort of profile that could tempt a team looking for immediate help, but whether the Browns are willing to move him is still the part nobody can answer yet. [Read more 🡒]