After falling to the Chicago Bears (5-2) on Thursday Night Football, many are quick to pick apart what went wrong for the New England Patriots and what needs to improve. Those conversations are centered around third down defense, tackling, wide receiver play, and other scrutinies from the Patriots 30-24 let down.
However, like most games, the Patriots still put out good tape, despite the outcome. Here's what New England did well on Thursday night and what we learned about this team moving forward:
Eli Raridon Was a Hit Draft Pick
With a diminished wide receiver room, the Patriots had to rely on other skill position players to push the ball through the passing game. One of the few that stepped up on Thursday was rookie tight end Eli Raridon.
Raridon hauled in 3 catches for 56 yards, including a 30-yard touchdown reception on a seam route in the third quarter. Maye targeted Raridon earlier in the game but was intercepted in the redzone.
Raridon now has more receiving yards (168) and touchdowns (two) this season than Kyle Williams, Efton Chism III, and A.J. Brown. The third-round pick out of Notre Dame has turned out to be a great investment by the Pats, and will carry the team's pass game well after Hunter Henry retires or moves on from New England.
Patriots Can Still Compete, Even When Thin
The Patriots are among the top teams in the NFL for players listed as inactive on reserve lists. Entering Thursday night, the Patriots had 22 players on reserve lists, with nine of those players being starters.
Most notably, the Patriots were missing four guards on Thursday, and were forced to start Walter Rouse and Matt Pryor. While the two players struggled, New England's offensive line had a decent performance, only allowing two sacks on quarterback Drake Maye.
Additionally, the Patriots had three inactive cornerbacks on Thursday, including starter Carlton Davis. Christian Gonzalez was also listed as questionable ahead of the game with an illness, but played every defensive snap.
Lastly, the Pats were limited to just four wide receievers, with Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs on the injured reserve.
With Chicago being one of the NFL's top teams, and last year's second ranked NFC team, New England's competitive showing was impressive, considering the diverse roster they were forced to use.
Patriots Leave Chicago Almost Entirely Unscathed
Similar to the last point, injuries have been a major hurdle the Patriots have had to overcome this season. Each game, the Pats leave with more diagnoses than they entered with.
Last night, the Patriots stayed relatively healthy. With depth being an issue, the health of New England's team was crucial to staying in yesterday's game.
The only significant injury was suffered by defensive linemen Christian Barmore, who appeared to sustain an upper-body injury after sacking Caleb Williams late in the game.
With 10 days until they travel to Miami, Patriots players will have plenty of time to recover from past injuries.
Rhamondre Stevenson Is Clear-Cut RB1
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson was one of the best players on the field Thursday night, and was crucial to New England's ability to stay in the game.
The sixth-year player only ran for 22 yards against the Bears defense, but carried the ball six times, which is twice the amount of his counterpart, TreVeyon Henderson.
Most notably, Stevenson impacted the game through his pass-catching. He hauled in 5 receptions for 93 yards and was New England's leading receiver. His 48-yard touchdown reception to end the first half kept the Patriots within scoring distance of the Bears for the rest of the game.
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 23, 2026
This season, Stevenson has 25 more carries than Henderson and has notched 82 more yards than the second-year player. While Henderson has dealt with an ankle injury over the past two weeks, the only action he's missed was Week 1 against Seattle.
Stevenson's production and usage points to continued increase in carries and impact plays from the veteran Patriot.
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