Drake Maye has previously faced Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears during his short NFL career. That matchup came in Maye and Williams’ rookie season, when the former led the New England Patriots to a 19-3 road win over the Bears, completing 15 of 25 passes for 184 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. But this season marks the first time head coach Ben Johnson will face the Patriots and Maye since taking over as Chicago’s head coach.

Ahead of the Week 7 matchup, both New England and Chicago sit at 4-2. At the same time, both quarterbacks are coming off strong performances in Week 5. And while Maye has previously acknowledged playing against Williams, Coach Johnson has now revealed what makes Maye a strong competitor.

“It’s a dangerous combination of a guy that’s an elite deep ball thrower along with he can crush you with his legs,” said Johnson, per Bears on Real. “I think that combination is deadly, and it’s really picked up steam over last three games. You can see that their offense is putting up points in bunches right now: a three-game winning streak and a ton of explosive plays throughout, and when you look at this way, he’s a big challenge.”

Drake Maye had a struggling start to the 2026 season as the Patriots dropped to 1-2 after the first three weeks of the season. Through those games, Maye completed 63.8% of his passes for 585 yards, just one touchdown, and six interceptions, while taking 9 sacks. At the same time, he rushed for just 82 yards on 15 attempts without scoring a touchdown.

In the last three weeks, however, the Patriots quarterback has seen an improvement. He has completed 64.1% of his passes for 878 yards, 10 touchdowns, and just 1 interception, while taking just a pair of sacks. Meanwhile, his rushing numbers also improved, as he rushed for 103 yards on 19 attempts and scored a rushing touchdown. In those three matches, New England went 3-0 and currently sits at 4-2.

In the last two weeks, especially, Maye has had strong performances. Against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5, he completed 26-of-34 for 374 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions, while also scoring a rushing touchdown, as the Patriots won 45-17.

A week later, against the New York Jets, he went 18-of-32 for 235 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions, while also rushing for 24 yards on 4 carries. Now, New England is riding on a three-game winning streak and will face the Bears.

Certainly, Johnson is pretty aware of how Maye has improved both in his passing and rushing game over the last three weeks. But while Johnson praised Maye, the head coach also raved about the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels.

“Josh McDaniels does a great job just making sure he puts those guys in the right spots,” said Johnson. “Even if they’re down some O-linemen, he’ll do a great job making sure he has that in mind and showcases what the rest of their guys can do.”

With McDaniels running the offense, the Patriots rank 18th in points scored and 7th in total yards recorded. The passing game has been efficient, as New England currently ranks 10th in total passing yards, while the run game has been impressive, ranking 6th in net rushing yards.

But in Week 7, Drake Maye and the Patriots know they will be facing Caleb Williams, who is coming off a strong performance. This is exactly why Maye shared his honest thoughts on his opponent ahead of the game.

“Him in the pocket, I don’t know if I could do some of the things he could do,” Maye said of Williams. “He’s special in the way he can move and kind of escape and evade pressure. Throwing on the run is pretty cool to watch. I don’t know if I’m that shifty in the pocket. He can do some cool things. He’s got crazy arm talent, and it’s fun to watch. I don’t know if I’m that flexible to try some of those things, but I think the way he plays the game is cool. I know he’s doing a great job, and I know in Chicago, he’s got the city fun to watch.”

Williams led the Bears to a 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons this past Sunday. He completed 30-of-36 for 305 passing yards and one touchdown. While he certainly took four sacks, Williams didn’t throw an interception against the Falcons. That said, it remains to be seen how the former first-round picks will perform against each other on Thursday Night.

The post “Can Crush You With His Legs”: HC Ben Johnson Rings Alarm Bells for Bears Ahead of Drake Maye Encounter appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.