CHICAGO — Drake and Caleb. Maye and Williams.
First-name reference, last-name reference, one mentioned before the other, it doesn’t matter.
No matter the ebbs and flows of their careers, the unforgettable victories and unfulfilled dreams, the exciting, ascending quarterbacks for the Patriots and Bears are sure to be connected for the remainder of their careers.
That’s how it works when enticing prospects commence their NFL careers as high draft picks in the same year. They’re praised and picked apart during the absurdly prolonged buildup to the NFL Draft, which starts the engine for that either/or, are-we-sure-he’s-better-than-him debate.
Thursday night, in their second career meeting and first in prime time, Williams and the Bears emerged victorious over Maye and the Patriots, 30-24. Both surpassed 300 yards passing. Both had stellar, and sometimes breathtaking, moments.
Williams completed 22 of 33 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. He connected with Luther Burden III for four receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown in the first half alone. His first-quarter 58-yarder with Burden, which set up a D’Andre Swift 4-yard rushing touchdown to give the Bears a 10-0 lead, accounted for more passing yards than Maye had in the entire opening quarter (51).
In the second half, the Patriots took away Burden (no catches after the break), so Williams leaned on others, including tight end Colston Loveland. Four of his seven catches came on the first drive after halftime, including a 12-yard touchdown reception to extend the Bears’ lead to 27-14.
Late in the game, receiver Rome Odunze suddenly became reliable, making a pair of 21-yard catches, including an enormous one on third and 9 from the Bears 10 with 4:59 remaining. The Bears iced the game on that drive when kicker Cairo Santos drilled a career-long 58-yard field goal, taking Williams off the hook for a 10-yard loss on a Christian Barmore sack on the previous play.
That sack was Williams’s biggest mistake. Maye’s occurred earlier, was more damaging, and left a mark on an otherwise impressive performance.
The Patriots had to play uphill because of the early deficit, and Maye was mostly game, completing 24 of 31 passes for a pair of scores — a 30-yarder to emerging rookie tight end Eli Raridon and a sensational 48-yard catch and run by Rhamondre Stevenson just before halftime.
But Maye, unlike Williams, committed a turnover — a crushing interception that looked like a flashback to his disastrous three-pick fourth quarter in the opener in Seattle.
Trailing, 13-7, the Patriots looked ready to take the lead when Maye marched them deep into Bears territory late in the second quarter. But on first and 10 from the Bears 15 with 3:32 left in the half, Maye egregiously underthrew Raridon at the goal line. D’Marco Jackson — whom Maye had to see — was right there to make the interception. The Patriots never overcame that lost opportunity, and never led.
So now Maye and Williams each have one victory over the other. Maye’s came here at Soldier Field during their rookie seasons, when the Patriots sacked Williams nine times in a 19-3 victory, the pinnacle of the Jerod Mayo season as it turned out.
Presuming they remain healthy, they are going to be compared throughout their careers, and even beyond. That status as draft classmates will be a mutual narrative for the duration.
That happens when two or more first-round quarterbacks in a class live up to their vast promise. Think John Elway, Dan Marino, and Jim Kelly in the 1984 draft class.
It also happens when one is a touted QB and becomes a superstar, while another high pick in the same draft becomes a cautionary tale. Yes, more than any other comparison, that means Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf in 1998.
Williams went No. 1 to the Bears in the 2024 draft, while Maye was the third overall choice by the Patriots. The Bears say they never seriously considered anyone but Williams, a Southern Cal phenom.
The Patriots, meanwhile, deserve endless credit for taking Maye out of the University of North Carolina, if only because there were other options that were considered enticing at the time.
Did everyone that wanted Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. move off the grid or something? Haven’t heard from any of them in a while.
It must be noted that Williams and Maye sandwiched another quarterback in the top three, Jayden Daniels, who had a sensational rookie season for the Commanders. He’s struggled with injuries since, and let’s just say his game-management skills require some sharpening, too. But he’s part of this bond, a special talent who, like Williams and Maye, has had more than a few moments of looking like a truly elite quarterback. The Commanders surely aren’t ready to regret choosing him over Maye. Not yet.
While Thursday’s outcome is a disappointment in New England, it’s nothing but a pleasure to watch two young, gifted quarterbacks duel. Comparison is no thief of joy when watching and discussing these two.
Whatever they become, and whatever they don’t, they’re always going to be connected.
Wouldn’t mind seeing them duel in a Super Bowl someday, would you?
Chad Finn can be reached at chad.finn@globe.com.