The New England Patriots fell 30-24 to the Chicago Bears in Week 7, as defensive breakdowns and an inability to contain explosive plays contributed to the defeat.
The Patriots struggled to slow down Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Luther Burden III, the latter of whom recorded 130 receiving yards and a touchdown in the game. Chicago played with more intensity than the Patriots and challenged New England’s coverage, while the Bears’ ability to extend plays created additional pressure on the Patriots' defense.
Marcus Jones, Christian Barmore and Leonard Taylor III all recorded a sack each for New England in the game, but the team did not come away with any interceptions in the contest and struggled to generate enough consistent stops to change the game’s momentum. The Patriots’ defense had difficulty limiting Chicago’s production on critical downs, allowing the Bears to sustain drives and convert scoring opportunities.
Here are the highest and lowest graded defensive players for the Patriots in their Week 7 loss to the Bears, per Pro Football Focus:
Top five PFF graded players
- LB Gabe Jacas - 80.5
- LB Christian Elliss - 78.7
- S Mike Brown - 63.1
- S Jaylen Reed - 62.4
- S Brenden Schooler - 61.2
Bottom five PFF graded players
- LB Robert Spillane - 36.9
- CB Marcus Jones - 40.2
- DT DaQuan Jones - 41.6
- CB Charles Woods - 43.7
- DT Leonard Taylor III - 48.4
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Best and worst defensive PFF grades for Patriots in loss to Bears