🏈 Battle of the rookie QBs

Good Morning, Boston.

🎙️ Happy Birthday to the late Jerry Remy. The beloved Red Sox color commentator would’ve been 72 today. One of his favorite pastimes (aside from baseball)? Making people laugh. So please enjoy some of “RemDawg’s” funniest moments in the Sox booth during his brilliant career.

What’s on tap today:

• Steve Kerr gets the last laugh

• Do Pats need to pipe down?

• Jaylen Brown leaves life on “read”

Let’s get into it …

LEADING OFF

Young guns

Caleb Williams and Drake Maye meet for the first time. The No. 1 and No. 3 overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft have known each other for years, duking it out at elite QB camps in high school and keeping up with each other in college. But they’ve never played against one another in a real football game. That will change Sunday when Williams’ Chicago Bears (4-4) take on Maye’s Patriots (2-7) at Soldier Field in Chicago.

They couldn’t be more different … but play very similarly. Williams won a Heisman Trophy at USC in 2022 and was considered a “generational” prospect while Maye was seen as more of a project. The former also carried a more “Hollywood,” eccentric reputation for things like (*gasps*) painting his nails compared with the more mild-mannered Maye. But they’re both big-armed, wildly talented QBs who are at their best when plays break down and have the confidence (or arrogance) to believe they can make every throw imaginable.

Both have a heavy burden to carry. Williams’ and Maye’s journey lies far beyond one game in Week 10 — or the entire 2024 season. 

• The former has to resurrect a Bears franchise that hasn’t had an All-Pro QB since Johnny Lujack in 1950.

• The latter must prove himself the true heir to Tom Brady, the greatest QB of all time, after years of failure at the position since TB12 left Foxborough.

As gifted as both are, saving a franchise requires a lot of luck and mental fortitude, not just skill.

Their immediate outlooks feel different … Despite Chicago’s better record, the Bears’ dysfunctional losses to the Commanders and Cardinals — and Williams’ poor performance in those contests — have cast a pall over the No. 1 pick’s year. Meanwhile, Maye has turned heads with his play, including his miraculous TD throw to force overtime last week, despite New England’s record. Moreover, Maye has done more with a much worse supporting cast, sparking optimism for what he can do once the roster improves.

… But they’ll be tied together forever. Williams, Maye, and No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels all look solid as rookies. But history suggests not all will become superstars. For every QB class like 2020, featuring the stellar trio of Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, and Justin Herbert, there are dozens like the five-QB first round of 2021, which included former Pats starter Mac Jones, where most flamed out. Even if these three stand the test of time, pundits will constantly compare them to see who’s the best. Williams has already lost to Daniels head-to-head. Perhaps Maye can hand him another defeat.

🤔 Which QB would you rather start a team with?

BOSTON SPORTS

Quick hits & headlines

🤦 Steve Kerr and the Warriors stump the Celtics. The TD Garden faithful let Kerr hear their displeasure over his benching of Jayson Tatum in the Olympics. But the Celtics couldn’t exact revenge. Basketball wizard Stephen Curry (27 points), Kerr, and the Warriors got the last laugh in a 118-112 road win despite Tatum’s 32-point effort. The Celtics star is putting the Olympic story behind him, colorfully stating, “You just learn to not give a f—.” Still, let’s hope Jaylen Brown (hip flexor) can help Tatum earn his get-back against Golden State on January 20. 

🤫 Jason McCourty wants Pats players to “shut the hell up.” The ex-Patriots defensive back and Super Bowl champion urged current players and coaches to watch what they say to the media, noting how many distractions their comments — like Jerod Mayo calling the team “soft” — and social media posts have caused this year. He also suggested some players don’t know how to handle the adversity of the Patriots’ first rebuild in two decades. Sometimes, you have to remember the old adage: “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything.”

🧦 Red Sox have big hopes for Triston Casas? The Sox’s Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow seemed to shut down any trade rumors about their 24-year-old slugger, saying Casas has “40-home run potential.” Casas reaching that lofty ceiling could make the Sox incredibly dangerous. But the Sox already have enough left-handed mashers, like Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran, and Casas could help them fetch some pitching help needed for a playoff run. Between this and the Juan Soto rumors, this winter won’t be a dull one for the Red Sox.

BEYOND BOSTON

Out-of-town report

The Pats won the Matthew Judon trade. Atlanta coach Raheem Morris admitted the team has reduced the 32-year-old pass rusher’s snaps for “production” reasons. Judon only has 1.5 sacks on the season after putting up four sacks in four games in his final year with the Patriots. New England will gladly take a top-100 pick in next year’s draft over a disgruntled Judon. 

Kendrick Perkins lashes out at the Celtics. The ex-Celtics big man took offense to former teammate Brian Scalabrine calling out Perkins’ anti-Celtics media comments, while also pushing back on a report that he was banned from Boston’s banner-hanging ceremony. Maybe if he stopped trashing Joe Mazzulla and Jayson Tatum every time he’s on a screen, he’d be welcomed back on the parquet more.

Cooper Flagg flies in his Duke debut. The Rockport, Maine native racked up 18 points and a monstrous dunk against (fittingly) the Maine Black Bears on Monday. With the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select … just kidding!

ON THIS DAY | NOVEMBER 8, 2008

BC wins the Holy War

BC Eagles shut out Notre Dame at Chestnut Hill. Safety Paul Anderson picked off Fighting Irish QB Jimmy Clausen twice, returning one interception for a 76-yard TD, as the Eagles won the 18th showdown between the last two remaining Catholic programs in FBS college football. It’s the last time BC won the matchup, with Notre Dame winning the next nine contests. Can we run it back now that Bill O’Brien’s here?

THE BEST THING I SAW IN SPORTS

Text me back, Jay!

🤳🏿 Jaylen Brown never texts back. During an entertaining big-screen montage at Wednesday’s Celtics game, the team revealed how many of them leave unread text messages on their phone and who can’t stand them. When asked who has the most unread texts on their phone, every Celtics had the same answer: Jaylen Brown. They were right: he said he has 2,000 texts sitting around with the “unread” dot next to them. Wonder what his email inbox looks like …

🗞 That’s a wrap. I’ll be removing every unread message on every device for my sanity.

❓ We asked, you answered … Just over half of you who responded Monday said you miss Mookie Betts more than any other departed Boston athlete, beating out Tom Brady for the top spot. One thing you all agreed on: no love for Roger Clemens.

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