The Bears beat the Patriots 30-24 at Soldier Field on Thursday night and moved to 5-2. Caleb Williams was 22-of-33 for 308 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. ESPN's game story said Chicago never trailed but never seemed comfortable with the lead. Yahoo Sports put it down to a single Drake Maye turnover.
The box score supports that reading. Maye was 24-of-31 for 321 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for a third score. His one interception was the only turnover of the night, and the Bears had none. New England averaged 7.6 yards a play to Chicago's 6.1. It ran only 50 plays to the Bears' 66, and Chicago held the ball 32:24 to 27:36. The Patriots were 2-of-7 on third down. The Bears were 4-of-12 on third down and 2-of-2 on fourth.
The Bears also won in the red zone, going 3-of-4 to New England's 1-of-2. Cairo Santos hit 3 of 4 field goals, and the last play of the game was a 58-yarder. D'Andre Swift carried 22 times for 78 yards and a score. Luther Burden III had four catches for 130 yards and a touchdown, including a 58-yarder. Colston Loveland also scored and led the team with 12 targets, catching seven for 69 yards. For New England, Rhamondre Stevenson had five catches for 93 yards, and Eli Raridon caught a touchdown. Sportsnet and the Associated Press said the Bears "cooled off" Maye. The Patriots' yardage doesn't back that up.
Chicago has won two straight since a 31-7 loss at Green Bay on Oct. 11. Williams had 305 yards and a touchdown in the 31-23 win at Atlanta on Oct. 18, so Thursday was his second straight game over 300. He was sacked three times Thursday and four times in Atlanta. Yahoo's recap called it a statement win over the defending AFC champions. Windy City Gridiron's headline went further and called it a dominant performance. The final margin and the way the game went make that a stretch. The Bears did honor Mike Ditka on a night that, per that outlet, came 40 years after Super Bowl XX.
New England falls to 4-3 and sits second in the AFC East, with its first loss after wins over the Jets (26-19) and Raiders (45-17). Maye threw for 374 yards and four touchdowns against Las Vegas, and he has now thrown for at least 300 yards in two of his last three games. The Thursday interception was his latest in a season in which he has also had multi-interception games at Seattle and Jacksonville.
The Patriots travel to Miami on Sunday, Nov. 1. The Bears have a longer road trip, to Seattle on Monday night, Nov. 2.
Discussion