A week that began at Gillette Stadium soon ended at Soldier Field. And in defeat.
The New England Patriots fell to the Chicago Bears by a score of 30-24 on Thursday night, snapping a three-game winning streak.
Here’s a glance back on the 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff as head coach Mike Vrabel’s side returns home for the mini bye with a 4-3 record.
Midway Maye delivers three touchdowns, one pick
The month of October had brought AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors along with 10 passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and one interception. The trend didn’t end in the Midwest.
Drake Maye completed 24-of-31 passes for 321 yards with two touchdowns and one interception through the air against the Bears. By ground, the Patriots quarterback added 26 rushing yards and a third touchdown on the evening.
Taking the field in “11” personnel, the opening drive spanned six plays and one first down before ending in an aggressive fourth-and-5 takedown. New England’s next pair of drives brought three-and-outs with the help of simulated pressure as well as run-run-pass sequences from offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. But the sticks would be moved on a 15-yarder to rookie tight end Eli Raridon and a 16-yarder to veteran tight end Hunter Henry as the first quarter reached the second quarter. That grew into nine-play, 74-yard drive to get the visitors across the plane on an extension from the QB for a TD.
The underneath had its openings as Maye was intercepted in the end zone by linebacker D’Marco Jackson on an underthrow intended for his third-round target from Notre Dame. Even so, a catch-and-run touchdown out of the backfield soon got things to halftime from midfield.
By intermission, with the score reading 20-14, Maye stood 12-of-15 for 169 yards with two touchdowns, the lone turnover and a 108.1 passer rating. That deficit had swelled by the time the ball was back in his hands. The 24-year-old captain and his supporting cast proceeded to respond from a false start with a 30-yard scoring strike down the seam to Raridon to cap off a nine-play push. A familiar throw with a different result.
Back-to-back punts got the fourth quarter underway for the Patriots, however, and it’d be a 30-21 gap by the time Maye was back on the field with no timeouts remaining.
New England finished 2-of-7 on third down, 0-of-1 on fourth down and 1-of-2 in the red zone. The tandem of youth and experience at tight end finished with 10 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Down Doubs, wide receivers combine for 87 yards
Just as New England’s No. 1 wide receiver returned last weekend at Gillette Stadium, Romeo Doubs headed the other direction and joined eldest statesman Mack Hollins on injured reserve after sustaining a shoulder injury on a 42-yard touchdown.
That left the depth chart with an active four that would combine for 87 receiving yards.
A.J. Brown led the shorthanded position. In his second game back from a high ankle sprain, the June trade acquisition caught three of the six passes sent his way for 48 yards. The drops did not make the trip to Soldier Field. But his first reception, which provided 18 yards and reason for a timeout, did not arrive until the closing seconds before halftime.
DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams joined the three-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro and Super Bowl LIX champion in the starting lineup. Efton Chism III filed on.
Two guards missing from New England’s starting five
The starting left guard and the starting right guard from four days prior weren’t on hand. Alijah Vera-Tucker and Ben Brown had been ruled out due to a hamstring injury and a knee injury, respectively. The former has since landed on injured reserve.
But a duct-taped offensive line that finished without allowing a sack or a penalty against the New York Jets let pressure in at Soldier Field.
It’d be Will Campbell at left tackle next to August trade acquisition Walter Rouse. It’d be Jared Wilson at center. And it’d be October signing Matt Pryor next to questionable captain Morgan Moses at right tackle.
Blitzing cornerback Kyler Gordon got the first sack in the first quarter. A sack split between defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and safety Dillon Thieneman followed in the fourth quarter. There were two false starts and two holding penalties charged to the combination along the way.
Stevenson hears no bell despite Patriots’ backfield combining for 44 rushing yards
Rhamondre Stevenson lowered the boom in pass protection. The Patriots starting running back did so while logging 22 rushing yards to go with a career-high 93 receiving yards on 11 touches. A grab-and-go, 48-yard touchdown through a sea of Bears was in the cards as time expired in the first half.
But New England’s quarterback led the team on the ground by game’s end.
A three-headed committee had emerged during last Sunday’s clock-killing win in Foxborough. Corey Kiner’s trust in the closing minutes continued early on Thursday. The trade pickup from the league’s 53-man roster deadline totaled 13 rushing yards across four handoffs while also serving as the primary kickoff returner. And then there was TreVeyon Henderson, whose recent high ankle sprain ultimately did not keep him away from a practice or a game. The No. 38 overall pick in the 2025 draft class was still kept to 23 scrimmage yards on a handful of chances.
Williams finds time to outlast Patriots’ secondary
Nearly two years had passed since the Bears last hosted the Patriots. The records at the time were 4-5 and 3-7. The head coaches were Matt Eberflus and Jerod Mayo. Much has changed since that November 2024 meeting. A former Heisman Trophy winner provided a reminder.
Caleb Williams went 22-of-33 passing for 308 yards on Thursday night. The Bears quarterback did so while delivering two touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 18 rushing yards along the way.
Chicago’s opening series brought a 26-yard connection on the initial snap and ended in a 43-yard field goal. The next possession brought a three-and-out checkdown for no gain versus zone coverage. The third possession, though, brought a wide-open over route that suddenly netted 58 yards more. From the goal line to the end zone, the Bears went by ground for a 10-point cushion late in the first quarter.
After the Patriots got on the board, a nine-play trek to a 13-7 lead ensued. And after a sudden change kept things that way, it was back to Luther Burden III once again for a 24-yard TD on third-and-17. The sophomore wide receiver found himself with 130 yards at the half, while the past No. 1 overall pick out of Oklahoma and USC stood 9-of-16 for 167 yards with one touchdown and a 113.3 passer rating.
New England started in the nickel secondary. All-Pro Christian Gonzalez was joined at cornerback by Charles Woods, who was called for holding on third-and-4, as well as sacking captain Marcus Jones. The defensive backfield was missing Carlton Davis III for a third consecutive game. Yet it had an ex-Bear who led the NFL in interceptions in 2025, as Kevin Byard III and Craig Woodson occupied the safety spots.
Coming out of halftime, the Bears traveled 72 yards in nine plays en route to tight end Colston Loveland reeling in 12-yard touchdown for 13-point advantage. But a three-and-out followed as it became a one-score game.
In the final frame, Williams slipped out of a blitz and kept downfield eyes on third-and-11 with the uprights at his back. A fourth-and-2 conversion followed along with a missed field goal off the right upright from 53 yards away. Time soon became a factor. And with 4:59 and then 3:32 left on the game clock, physical wideout Rome Odunze kept things rolling with a pair of 21-yard pickups in a span of three plays.
Three sacks notched, one ground touchdown allowed
The Patriots’ defense hit home for three sacks against the Bears. Leonard Taylor III broke through to get his second of year. The aforementioned Marcus Jones followed that up to get his first of the year. They were joined in the sack column by Christian Barmore in the late stages.
The veteran defensive tackle’s takedown sent Chicago 10 yards back yet still into a 58-yard field goal.
Elijah Ponder and Dre’Mont Jones started off the edges of the front. Milton Williams and Cory Durden, who was flagged for encroachment on third-and-1 in a 27-21 game, got the nod at defensive tackle. And behind them, Christian Elliss proved omnipresent with a team-high 13 tackles to go with a pair of QB hits.
But with 5-foot-8, 207-pound punisher Kyle Monangai inactive, a running back room led by D’Andre Swift managed 91 rushing yards and one touchdowns across 24 attempts. Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s offense finished the night 4-of-12 on third down, 2-of-2 on fourth down and 3-of-4 in the red zone.
Borregales called upon with 42 seconds to go
Andy Borregales went 3-of-3 on extra points after missing an attempt wide left days prior. The Patriots kicker also split the uprights on his lone field goal.
His conversion from 47 yards out with 42 seconds to tick in the final quarter made it a 30-24 score. The subsequent onside kick found the Bears’ gloves to keep it that way, however.
New England’s holder had a more eventful Thursday night in the Windy City. Mitch Wishnowsky was called upon for four punts and logged a 45-yard average with two inside-the-20 efforts and no touchbacks.