CHICAGO - The Patriots’ three-game win streak was bound to end eventually, but Thursday night at Soldier Field brought a rougher version of that reality. New England walked into a 30-24 loss to the Bears and spent most of the night fighting uphill, undone by pressure up front, costly flags and a defense that couldn’t keep Chicago from finding chunk plays.
Drake Maye did his part in stretches, finishing 23-for-29 for 305 passing yards with two total touchdowns. Caleb Williams matched him and then some, going 22-for-33 for 308 passing yards and two passing touchdowns as the Bears handed the Patriots their first loss in Chicago since 2000.
The biggest problem for New England started in the trenches. After losing Alijah Vera-Tucker, who was placed on IR pregame, and Ben Brown last week against the New York Jets, the Patriots had to lean on Matt Pryor and Walter Rouse in the starting lineup. Chicago attacked that situation immediately, sending pressure both through the middle and off the edge and making the pocket uncomfortable all night.
The Bears got into the backfield regularly, held New England to 70 rushing yards and registered two sacks on Maye. The Patriots did get one touchdown on the ground from their quarterback - a seven-yard run - but the run game never really settled in as a reliable option.
Chicago’s offense was just as disruptive in a different way, especially through Rome Odunze. The Bears kept stacking up long first downs, and Odunze kept hurting the Patriots when they needed a stop most. Even with just four third-down conversions, Chicago still rolled to more than 400 total yards.
A lot of the damage in the first half came through Burden, who entered the game with 361 receiving yards on the season and then exploded for 130 yards and a touchdown before halftime. His 58-yard catch-and-run helped set up a four-yard D’Andre Swift touchdown in the first quarter, and Burden later added a 24-yard score of his own. New England adjusted after the break and held Burden without a catch in the second half, but the early burst had already changed the game.
Maye was sharp for most of the night, but he did have one costly mistake. On a second-quarter drive, he tried to force a ball to Eli Raridon in the end zone and didn’t get enough on it.
Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson came down with the interception. It was the third time in seven games this season that Maye has thrown an interception in the end zone, the most by any NFL quarterback.
Still, Maye kept giving the Patriots chances. He nearly connected with A.J.
Brown deep down the sideline, but Malik Muhammed got a hand on the throw to break it up. Brown finished with three catches, and the big downfield play New England has been waiting for still hasn’t arrived.
The Patriots found a way to stay alive right before halftime, even though they looked headed into the locker room down bad. With three seconds left, they lined up as if they were going to launch a Hail Mary.
Instead, they checked it down to Rhamondre Stevenson, who took off against soft coverage, kept weaving through defenders and eventually broke free for a 48-yard touchdown. It was the longest play New England had all night and cut into what had been a comfortable Bears lead.
Chicago answered quickly after the half. On the opening drive of the third quarter, Williams and the Bears pushed the ball downfield with chunk gains before Williams rolled out and hit Colston Loveland for a touchdown and a 27-14 lead.
New England responded with one of its best drives of the night. The Patriots went 80 yards in nine plays, and Maye finished it by hitting Rairdon down the right seam for a 30-yard touchdown.
That set up a tense stretch where both offenses stalled, and the Bears had a chance to stretch the margin with a Cairo Santos field goal attempt from 53 yards. The kick hit the right upright, giving the Patriots a window they couldn’t fully use after a big sack on second down stalled the possession.
Defensively, New England never quite found a way to make Williams uncomfortable enough. Kevin Byard came close to breaking up a pass, but Williams threaded a throw to Odunze for a 21-yard gain. Milton Williams and Christian Barmore, the team’s top interior threats, couldn’t generate consistent pressure, and Williams’ movement inside the pocket kept the Patriots from really landing a clean punch.
Barmore did get to Williams for a third-down sack with 1:39 left, but Santos answered with a 58-yard field goal one play later to help close the door. Barmore also got banged up on the play and left the game.
The Patriots also beat themselves repeatedly with penalties. They were flagged 10 times for 71 yards, including a false start by Pryor that turned a fourth-down chance into a punt and a Cory Durden encroachment that gave the Bears a first down after the two-minute warning. Chicago had its own issues, drawing eight penalties for 56 yards, but New England’s mistakes were the ones that kept showing up at the worst times.
After playing two games in five days, the Patriots are now 4-3 and will get the next three days off.
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