The New England Patriots and Chicago Bears meet Thursday night, putting 2024 first-round quarterbacks Drake Maye and Caleb Williams on the field against each other for the second time in three seasons. Maye was the third overall pick and Williams went first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Pats Pulpit writer Bernd Buchmasser compared their career production ahead of the matchup. His figures give Maye the edge in completion rate, passing yards, touchdowns and EPA per play, while Williams has fewer interceptions and lost fumbles.
Their paths through the league have differed. Maye began as a backup, while Williams started as a rookie, but the comparison lists them with 39 starts apiece across regular-season and playoff games.
Patriots quarterback comparison: Maye and Williams stats
The career figures below are those listed by Buchmasser. They show a narrow gap in passing yards but a wider separation in completion rate and the article’s efficiency measure, EPA per play.
Maye’s 148-yard passing advantage comes in one fewer game, according to the comparison. His completion rate is seven percentage points higher, and his 63 passing touchdowns are nine more than Williams’ 54. The difference in EPA per play is 0.098 in Maye’s favor.
Williams has the stronger turnover totals in the table: he has thrown 10 fewer interceptions and lost nine fewer fumbles. Buchmasser also notes that Williams has 25 total giveaways in 39 games, compared with 44 for Maye. The numbers frame a contrast between Maye’s higher production and efficiency and Williams’ better ball security.
The comparison also lists Maye with 1,186 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, against 1,028 yards and five touchdowns for Williams. Buchmasser describes Maye as the more dangerous runner and notes that he has produced more yards and scores despite appearing in fewer snaps.
Maye’s honors and Williams’ Chicago milestone
Maye’s individual honors and New England’s postseason run stand out in the comparison. Buchmasser says Maye finished the 2025 season as a Pro Bowler, a second-team All-Pro selection and the runner-up to Matthew Stafford in MVP voting. Maye also led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance in seven years.
Williams’ milestone came with Chicago: Buchmasser says the Bears earned their first playoff win since 2010 with Williams at quarterback. The comparison lists New England at 21-14 in regular-season games and 3-1 in the playoffs with Maye as its starter. Chicago’s records with Williams are 18-19 in the regular season and 1-1 in the postseason.
The article places the quarterbacks’ improvement within changes to both organizations after 2024. Mike Vrabel arrived in New England and Ben Johnson in Chicago, following rookie seasons marked by coaching changes. Buchmasser credits Maye with a major second-year leap, while describing Williams as part of a developing Bears team.
For more on Maye’s development, see Drake Maye Growth Year Three.
The rookie-season meeting sets a head-to-head benchmark
The quarterbacks’ first meeting came in Week 10 of their rookie seasons. New England beat Chicago 19-3, with Maye throwing for 184 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Williams passed for 120 yards.
Buchmasser reports that the Patriots defense sacked Williams nine times and Chicago converted one of 14 third downs. Maye’s touchdown pass to Ja’Lynn Polk was New England’s only touchdown in the game; kicker Joey Slye accounted for the Patriots’ other points.
The Thursday-night game is their second meeting and offers a new comparison point after the production and team milestones outlined by Pats Pulpit. Buchmasser also describes both quarterbacks as approaching contract-extension territory after the 2026 season, with new deals framed as an expectation rather than a completed transaction.
