The New England Patriots had plenty of opportunities against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. But when the offense was clicking, the defense couldn't step up. And when the defense did its part, the offense couldn't get downfield.
So, with that, the Patriots dropped their third game of the season, with this one hurting even more as it came in primetime.
Dealing with a multitude of injuries, the offensive line was depleted, and it certainly showed with some horribly timed false-start penalties, as well as getting beat at the line of scrimmage. And on defense, Caleb Williams was carving them up when it mattered most, on top of the Patriots missing tackles left and right.
It was a winnable game for New England where they just kept beating themselves.
Here are the takeaways from Thursday night's 27-21 loss:
1. Gutsy decision by Ben Johnson hands Patriots primetime loss
Ben Johnson's impressive coaching continued as he made a gutsy decision at the end of the game that ultimately resulted in the win. It started on a Bears drive that included a third-down conversion, with Williams hitting Rome Odunze for 21 yards. And then, he hit him for the same amount two plays later.
The Patriots' defense got them into another third-down situation, but right after the two-minute warning, Cory Durden was flagged for encroachment. That gave the Bears a free first down, but Vrabel made sure to clear up after the game that he told the defensive tackle to do that as they thought it was their best opportunity to potentially save clock time.
On another third-down attempt, Christian Barmore sacked Williams, appearing to get him out of field goal position. But that's when Johnson's decision came into play, as he sent Cairo Santos out to hit a 58-yard field goal, with his longest previously being 55 yards. It was good, providing Chicago with a two score lead.
2. They gave themselves one last chance
After the successful field goal attempt, the Patriots needed a field goal and a touchdown to win the game. And they quickly got down the field, with Andy Borregales making the 47-yard field goal with 37 seconds remaining on the clock.
Punter Josh Wishnowsky came out to attempt an onside kick, but it was recovered by Bears WR Rome Odunze, ending the game.
3. Rhamondre Stevenson leaves the Bears speechless to end the first half
After a touchdown drive by the Bears, they doubled up as they would receive to start the second half. But that was spoiled by a two-play, 66-yard drive by the Patriots that took all of nine seconds.
First, Maye hit A.J. Brown for 18 yards, marking the receiver's first catch of the game. And then, the Bears tried to blitz Maye so he couldn't throw a Hail Mary, but instead, he threw it to Rhamondre Stevenson, who ducked and dodged defenders to take it into the end zone.
"I was just trying to make a play," he explained. "Put my team in a position to swing the game."
Rhamondre Stevenson is good at football pic.twitter.com/QCQNzb34N8
— Sophie Weller (@sophieewellerr) October 23, 2026
It was the perfect way to go into the half and certainly provided motivation and momentum despite being down by six.
4. DOINK!
The drive by Chicago leading up to the field goal attempt included a successful fourth-down conversion, and while the defense bent, it didn't break. Christian Elliss chased down Williams on a blitz, forcing him to throw it away on third down. Then, Cairo Santos hit it off the right upright, missing the 53-yard field goal attempt and keeping it within a one-score game, with the Bears leading by six.
Yet, as has been a trend following gifts by the defense, the offense couldn't take advantage of the good field position, going three-and-out as a second down sack for Maye led to a loss of 10 yards.
5. Drake Maye and the offense get back on track
After back-to-back three-and-outs in the opening frame, the Patriots' offense got back to doing what they are best at, with a nine-play, 74-yard drive. That included a nice 15-yard pickup by Eli Raridon and a 16-yard pass from Maye to Hunter Henry. Rhamondre Stevenson had a cutback to be remembered, picking up 13 yards on a run. And then, the drive was tapped off with Maye running it in for 7 yards.
This score proved that it truly is a game of inches, as Maye was officially ruled down, but a successful challenge by the Patriots saw the call reversed as Maye extended his arm just enough before he was marked down.
"Down there, I think using my legs is always a weapon," Maye said of the scoring play. "I probably shouldn't have reached. I know Coach will be on me about that. I had a feeling I may have gotten it, but you can't reach it and risk the ball down there that close."
However, the sigh of relief only lasted a few minutes as wide receiver Zavion Thomas had a 47-yard return, which was then followed by them getting an additional five yards as Darius Muasau was called for illegal formation. The Bears then pushed the ball down the field, but were stopped just outside the end zone and instead had to settle for a 31-yard field goal. With that, Chicago took a six-point lead with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half.
6. Another bad interception from Drake Maye
Maye had his first turnover since Week 4, and it came at a horrible time. The Patriots put together a promising drive and were just outside the end zone. So with that, Maye attempted to get it to Eli Raridon, who had a step on the linebacker, but instead, it was a poorly thrown ball that was easily picked off.
"It was definitely a huge point in the game," Maye said. "I talk about it all the time - those plays that can swing the game, can impact the game, and that was definitely one of them right there. I wish I definitely had that one back and a lot of other plays."
However, outside of the interception, Maye had an efficient day, going 24-for-31 for 321 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. He added a rushing touchdown as well to his final stats of the night.
"He gave us a chance. He competed," Vrabel said of his quarterback. "I know he'd like to have that throw back to Eli, but I thought he really competed. Whether that was running around or scrambling… I'm glad he's ours."
7. A much-needed stop
Maye and the offense brought it back within one score as the quarterback sat in the pocket despite the blitz, throwing a perfectly placed ball to Raridon for a 30-yard touchdown, making it 21-27.
But then, it was up to the defense, which had allowed scores on the four drives before. Williams started by hitting Loveland for a 2-yard gain, followed by two incompletions that led to the punt. However, the offense failed to capitalize as they were forced to punt following a questionable false start penalty against Will Campbell on third down, and then another one on Matt Pryor on fourth down.
"That's probably what we'll think about the most over the weekend; having two chances with the ball down 27 to 21," Maye said.
As for the penalty against Campbell, which was a little questionable, Vrabel was asked his opinion on that one after the game.
"I'm not in very good favor with the officiating department," he bluntly replied. "So I probably shouldn't say anything."
8. A rocky start
On the opening drive, the Patriots moved to midfield after a nice throw from Maye to Stevenson for a 19-yard gain. But Rouse was called for a holding penalty, pushing them back. As a result, the Patriots kept up their aggressive play calling, deciding to keep the defense out for 4th-and-5. But it didn't work this time, as the Bears blitzed Maye and brought him down for a sack. As a result, it was a turnover on downs, with Chicago getting prime field position from their own 46-yard line.
The Bears went down the field, including a 26-yard throw from Williams to Burden, but were stopped after Williams put too much on a throw to Kalif Raymond on third down. Santos made the 43-yard field goal, giving Chicago an immediate three-point lead.
9. Rookie mistake
The Patriots' defense was making some good plays after Maye threw the interception towards the end of the second quarter, but two bad penalties allowed Chicago to get down the field.
It looked like New England had forced a three-and-out, but Charles Woods was called for holding, giving the Bears a free first down. Then, Williams hit Burden again for his third catch of the night, and on that same play, Gabe Jacas was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty. The ball was very clearly out of Williams' hands, and Jacas came in much too late, making it an easy call for the official.
10. Other notes
- The Patriots lost the coin toss, with the Bears electing to defer to the second half.
- Leonard Taylor and Gabe Jacas combined for a sack on Williams, as Jacas brought the pressure, chasing Williams down and forcing him to run right to Taylor.
- Ever heard of an illegal forward handling penalty? Well, the Bears were called for that after Williams handed the ball to offensive lineman Joe Thuney.
- Safety Kevin Byard was down and being looked at by trainers, ultimately jogging off the field and heading straight into the blue medical tent in the first half. However, before both teams departed the field for the locker room, he was back out there.
- Patriots were flagged 10 times for a total of 71 yards, with penalties playing a major factor in the loss. The Bears were called for eight penalties for 56 yards.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 10 takeaways from Patriots 30-24 primetime loss to the Bears
