This matchup deserved to be played on a Sunday. Both teams played on a short week and the Bears came out on top with a few more plays than New England. Caleb Williams showed why he is a top QB.
I’ll leave the refereeing alone because paragraphs could be written about this crew. The game was close and winnable, but Pats shot themselves in the foot with too many mistakes to overcome, including not being able to capitalize on offensive opportunities. Defense held up until they didn’t. Frankly, they looked fatigued. The Patriots don’t usually allow explosive plays or opponents get outside.
The team now gets 10 days of a soft bye week to rest and heal up. They need it.
TEAM TALK
Post Game Notes, Patriots at Bears: Stevenson reaches career high in receiving yards; Maye has second game in 2026 going over 300 yards, with two 30-yard TD passes; Elliss tied a career-high with 13 tackles; More.
Evan Lazar’s Game Observations: 8 takeaways from the 30-24 loss. “The Bears offense forced the Patriots defense to miss 16 tackles while racking up 149 yards after the catch and 85 rushing yards after contact, speaking to their physicality and possibly some fatigue for the Pats defense.” 1. Play of the Game: RB Rhamondre Stevenson scores 48-yard TD before halftime. /Good read.
Gamebook: Full Patriots-Bears stats.
Post Game Quotes:Patriots and Bears.
Post Game Pressers:Mike Vrabel – Drake Maye – Rhamondre Stevenson, A.J. Brown, Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, and Hunter Henry.
Full Highlights:Patriots at Bears. (5 min. video)
Postgame Show:Breaking down Pats-Bears – the good, the bad, and what needs to be fixed. (1 hour, 42 min.)
LOCAL LINKS
Andrew Callahan shares his Week 7 thoughts: A well-earned defeat, Maye’s rhythm, Basic problem explained, When will A.J. Brown emerge? More.
Chris Mason’s Patriots Notes: Poor tackling dooms Patriots, but Drake Maye thrives under heavy pressure and Rhamondre Stevenson delivers an unforgettable highlight.
Matt Vautour says the Patriots will be haunted by self-inflicted wounds that cost them a winnable game.
Karen Guregian writes, losing to the Bears wasn’t a surprise, it was more about how the Patriots lost. ‘They were in it to the end. But they did more to lose this game, than win it.’ Pats gave a clinic on missed tackles.
Doug Kyed picks out the Best and Worst: What we learned from the disappointing loss. Worst: Tackling. CBs Marcus Jones (5) and Charles Woods (3) topped with missed tackles. Best: RB Rhamondre Stevenson’s incredible 48-yard catch-and-run TD. Carries: 6 for 22 yards, Receiving: 5 passes for 93 yards and a score. More.
Mark Daniels notes Mike Vrabel said four words about Drake Maye that echoed through the Patriots locker room: “I’m glad he’s ours.”
Alex Barth relays Mike Vrabel addressing the Patriots’ biggest defensive issues from Bears loss.
Doug Kyed tells us what AJ Brown had to say after another quiet game. “in three games, Brown has nine catches on 20 targets for 101 yards and hasn’t made the impact many expected him to.”
Alex Barth reports Patriots IR list grows again with addition of guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
NATIONAL NEWS
Mike Reiss and Courtney Cronin (ESPN) Week 7 NFL TNF highlights: Best plays, moments, TDs, more.
Grant Gordon (NFL) Patriots-Bears on ‘Thursday Night Football’: What we learned from Chicago’s 30-24 win.
Kevin Patra (NFL) Caleb Williams outduels Drake Maye as Bears win prime-time bout. ‘Beyond the INT, Maye showed exemplary QB play.’
Patriots fans, join the game-day huddle!
Follow every snap and discuss every decision with fellow fans on the SB Nation app.
- Connect through our live game chat
- Browse with fewer ads
- Seamlessly move between communities
- Enjoy faster commenting and posting
NFL Nation, et al (ESPN) Week 7 preview: Picks, predictions, schedule, odds, more.
Jeremy Bergman, et al (NFL) Week 7 picks: Upset and score predictions, matchup breakdowns for every game
Gennaro Filice (ESPN) Trade deadline: 10 needs for 10 contenders.