Caleb Williams outduels Drake Maye on Mike Ditka night as the Bears top the Patriots

Caleb Williams got the better of his 2024 draft classmate Drake Maye on Thursday night, throwing for 308 yards and two touchdowns as the Chicago Bears beat the New England Patriots 30-24 at Soldier Field. It was Chicago's first home game since Mike Ditka died on Oct. 9, and the Bears are now 5-2.

Williams went No. 1 in that draft and Maye went No. 3. The two are longtime friends, and after the game Williams asked for Maye's jersey. He also heard MVP chants at the Prime Video desk after the win.

The case for Caleb

Williams completed 22 of 33 passes, did not throw an interception and is now the first Bears quarterback with back-to-back 300-yard games since Mitch Trubisky in 2018, per the AP. This was only his second game back from a right hamstring injury.

The throw that decided it came with 4:59 left. Chicago led 27-21 and was pinned at its own 10 on third-and-9. Williams found Rome Odunze for 21 yards, the drive kept going, and Cairo Santos drilled a 58-yard field goal, the longest of his career, to make it 30-21 with 1:34 left.

Luther Burden III was the other headliner, with four catches for 130 yards and a 24-yard touchdown on a third-and-17 screen just before halftime. Colston Loveland caught a 12-yard touchdown in the third quarter.

Maye kept it close

Maye was very good too. He finished 24 of 31 for 321 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third score. His one mistake was an interception in the end zone in the second quarter while the Patriots were driving, and it was the only turnover in the game. New England never led.

That fits a problem coach Mike Vrabel called out this week, when he said the Patriots turn the ball over "at a historic rate." ESPN counts 14 giveaways for New England this season. The loss ends a three-game winning streak in which Maye threw 10 touchdown passes and one interception.

Maye's 48-yard touchdown to Rhamondre Stevenson on the last play of the first half and a 30-yard score to Eli Raridon both came against six-man Bears blitzes, ESPN noted. Andy Borregales hit a 47-yarder with 37 seconds left, and Odunze recovered the onside kick.

Ditka night

The Bears held a moment of silence for Ditka before the game and handed out fake mustaches to the crowd of 60,520. Fans wore his No. 89 jersey and Bears sweaters like the ones he wore on the sideline.

The bad news for Chicago was tight end Cole Kmet, who was carted off with a right knee injury late in the fourth quarter. The Bears visit Seattle on Monday night, Nov. 2. The Patriots (4-3) play at Miami on Nov. 1.