It took a dive, a hit, and a challenge flag, but Drake Maye got the New England Patriots on the board against the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football. The QB’s 7-yard run with 11:33 left in the second quarter at Soldier Field counted only after head coach Mike Vrabel won a challenge.
Meanwhile, the play made the rounds on social media. Analysts and reporters praised Maye’s toughness, marveled at how close the call was, and raised concern over the hit he took to get there.
NFL World Impressed as Drake Maye Reaches the End Zone the Hard Way
New England’s offense had sputtered to open the night. Its first three possessions went for 23, 6, and 1 yards, ending in a turnover on downs and two punts. Meanwhile, the Bears scored on two of their first three drives, on a 43-yard Cairo Santos field goal and a 4-yard D’Andre Swift touchdown run with 1:38 left in the first quarter.
However, Maye answered right away with a nine-play, 74-yard drive. It began at the Patriots’ 26 after Swift’s score, took 5:05, and carried into the second quarter. Maye found Eli Raridon for 15 yards, Rhamondre Stevenson for nine, and Hunter Henry for 16, and Stevenson chipped in a 13-yard run.
The drive ended at the goal line. Officials first ruled Maye just short on his run. But Vrabel’s challenge overturned the call to a touchdown, and Andy Borregales added the extra point.
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“Drake Maye dives and takes a hit and gets into the endzone for the Patriots touchdown. He took the Hit and still scored. Tough run,” one influencer wrote.
Seattle Seahawks journalist Brian Nemhauser paired his praise with a jab at Prime Video’s broadcasters Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit.
“Drake Maye makes a herculean play to get his team back into the game with a TD, and the broadcast crew sounds like they are watching paint dry,” Nemhauser wrote.
Meanwhile, NFL analyst John Frascella went from disbelief to applause.
“This… is… a… touchdown??? Well done, Drake Maye, that’s a true warrior’s effort right there,” he wrote.
ESPN NFL Draft analyst Field Yates zeroed in on the margin.
“That’s as narrow of a touchdown as you will ever see. But it looked like a touchdown,” he said.
The hit itself drew attention, too. NFL analyst Skip Bayless posted that Maye “took a dangerous shot but showed serious competitive fight staying up and extending the ball to the goal line.”
Patriots insider Mike Giardi also described the contact in blunt terms.
“That was helmet-to-helmet on Maye. He lowered his head and so did the defender,” he wrote.
Both teams entered the game at 4-2. The Patriots had won three straight, and the Bears had also won three of their last four.
New England plays next on Nov. 1 in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium, while Chicago will travel to face the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.