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The New England Patriots' three-game winning streak came to a halt on Thursday night, as they fell to the Chicago Bears 30-24 at Soldier Field. The loss drops the Patriots to 4-3 as they head into a mini bye week.
Maye's Mixed Night
Drake Maye completed 24 of 31 passes for 321 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, adding 26 rushing yards and a third score on the ground. The Patriots' opening drive ended on a failed fourth-down attempt, and the next two series resulted in three-and-outs. However, Maye connected with rookie tight end Eli Raridon and veteran Hunter Henry to move the chains, eventually capping a nine-play, 74-yard drive with a rushing touchdown. Maye was intercepted in the end zone by linebacker D'Marco Jackson on an underthrown pass intended for Raridon, but a catch-and-run touchdown out of the backfield before halftime brought the Patriots within 20-14. Maye finished the first half 12-of-15 for 169 yards with two touchdowns and a 108.1 passer rating.
In the third quarter, Maye responded to a false start with a 30-yard scoring strike to Raridon, capping a nine-play drive. But back-to-back punts in the fourth quarter left the Patriots trailing 30-21 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 tight end duo combined for 10 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Receiver Depth Tested
With Romeo Doubs joining Mack Hollins on injured reserve due to a shoulder injury, the Patriots' wide receiver corps was shorthanded. A.J. Brown led the group with three catches for 48 yards on six targets, but his first reception didn't come until the closing seconds of the first half. DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams started alongside Brown, with Efton Chism III also seeing action. The group combined for just 87 receiving yards.
Offensive Line Shuffle
The Patriots were without starting guards Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring) and Ben Brown (knee), both ruled out. Will Campbell started at left tackle next to Walter Rouse, Jared Wilson at center, and Matt Pryor next to Morgan Moses at right tackle. The makeshift line allowed two sacks—one by cornerback Kyler Gordon and a split sack between Grady Jarrett and Dillon Thieneman—and committed two false starts and two holding penalties.
Backfield Struggles
Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 22 yards and added a career-high 93 receiving yards on 11 touches, including a 48-yard touchdown catch as time expired in the first half. However, Maye led the team in rushing by game's end. Corey Kiner contributed 13 rushing yards on four carries and served as the primary kickoff returner, while TreVeyon Henderson was limited to 23 scrimmage yards.
Williams Shines for Bears
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams completed 22 of 33 passes for 308 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, adding 18 rushing yards. Chicago's opening drive featured a 26-yard connection and ended in a 43-yard field goal. After a three-and-out, the Bears struck for a 58-yard gain on a wide-open over route, then added a rushing touchdown for a 10-point lead. A nine-play drive extended the lead to 13-7, and a 24-yard touchdown to Luther Burden III on third-and-17 made it 20-7. Burden had 130 yards at halftime, while Williams was 9-of-16 for 167 yards with one touchdown and a 113.3 passer rating.
New England's secondary started in nickel, with Christian Gonzalez and Charles Woods at cornerback and Marcus Jones at safety alongside Kevin Byard III and Craig Woodson. Carlton Davis III missed his third consecutive game. The Bears opened the second half with a nine-play, 72-yard drive ending in a 12-yard touchdown to Colston Loveland for a 13-point lead. Later, Williams escaped a blitz on third-and-11 and converted a fourth-and-2, while a 53-yard field goal attempt missed off the right upright. Rome Odunze kept the chains moving with two 21-yard catches in the final minutes.
Defensive Highlights
The Patriots recorded three sacks: Leonard Taylor III notched his second of the year, Marcus Jones got his first, and Christian Barmore added one late. Elijah Ponder and Dre'Mont Jones started at defensive end, with Milton Williams and Cory Durden at defensive tackle. Christian Elliss led the team with 13 tackles and two quarterback hits. However, the Bears' running back committee, led by D'Andre Swift, rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts. Chicago finished 4-of-12 on third down, 2-of-2 on fourth down, and 3-of-4 in the red zone.
Special Teams
Kicker Andy Borregales made all three extra points and his lone field goal, a 47-yarder with 42 seconds left to make it 30-24. The ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Bears. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky averaged 45 yards on four punts, placing two inside the 20 with no touchbacks.
Originally reported by yahoo.