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The New England Patriots were battling some injuries on their offensive line and elsewhere on the roster, but that misfortune does not fairly describe what went wrong in Thursday’s 30-24 loss versus the Chicago Bears. They wasted opportunities on both sides of the ball. Drake Maye failed to spot an open Efton Chism III and instead threw an interception in the end zone on a pass that was intended for tight end Eli Raridon. There were plenty of defensive mistakes as well.
New England was highly vulnerable to the big play during this road matchup, allowing Luther Burden III to record four catches for 130 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Colston Loveland and Rome Odunze also punished the Pats with sizable gains. It is hard to simplify the problem to one area, but head coach Mike Vrabel did highlight his team’s most glaring weakness on defense.
“Tackling wasn’t good enough,” he said during the postgame press conference, per MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels. New England made significant strides in fundamental football skills last season, which allowed the squad to post a perfect 8-0 record on the road and reach the Super Bowl. Sloppiness does not travel well, as illustrated by the Patriots’ defensive lapses in Soldier Field.
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The Burden touchdown was especially hard to stomach. Facing third-and-17 with less than 20 seconds left in the first half, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams linked up with the second-year wideout for a 24-yard score. The Patriots immediately got some revenge courtesy of a bonkers Rhamondre Stevenson TD in the final seconds of the second quarter, but that thrilling play does not excuse the previous mishap.
New England cannot gift its opponent momentum at pivotal spots. Missed tackles and 10 penalties made life much easier for Chicago. The Pats will have much to ponder on its trip back home. These blemishes cannot resurface in a Week 8 road game against the winless Miami Dolphins.
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