Caleb Williams threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns, and the Chicago Bears cooled off Drake Maye and the New England Patriots with a 30-24 win on Thursday night.
Williams was 22 of 33 passing in his second game back after being sidelined by a hamstring injury. He became the first Bears quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in consecutive games since Mitch Trubisky had a three-game run in 2018.
“It’s amazing [having Williams on the field]. His leadership, his competitiveness, everyone around here feels it. He gets us going,” said Bears running back D’Andre Swift after the game.
Williams outdueled Maye in their second meeting since the longtime friends were part of the 2024 NFL draft. Williams went No 1 to Chicago, and Maye was selected by New England at No 3.
Luther Burden had four catches for 130 yards for Chicago (5-2), and Colston Loveland had a 12-yard touchdown reception. Cairo Santos kicked a 58-yard field goal with 1:34 left, a career long and matching the franchise record, after he missed a 53-yard attempt earlier in the final quarter. That made it 30-21 but Maye then drove New England into range for Andy Borregales’s 47-yarder with 37 seconds to go. However, Chicago recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran down the clock.
Maye was 24 for 31 for 321 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw a costly interception in the end zone in the first half.
New England (4-3) had won three consecutive games behind Maye, who threw 10 TD passes and one interception during the win streak. Rhamondre Stevenson had five catches for 93 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots. Eli Raridon had a 30-yard TD catch in the third quarter.
It was Chicago’s first home game since Mike Ditka died on 9 October. The Bears saluted the Hall of Fame tight end and longtime coach with a pregame moment of silence, and they also handed out fake mustaches to the crowd of 60,520 at Soldier Field. Ditka’s No 89 jersey dotted the stands, and fans also donned Bears sweaters in a callback to the gear he wore on the sideline as a coach.
The Bears jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a Santos 43-yard field goal and Swift’s four-yard touchdown run.
New England responded when Maye scored on a seven-yard run early in the second quarter, but Santos made a 31-yard field goal to give Chicago a 13-7 lead.
The teams traded touchdowns in the final 14 seconds of the half. After Williams connected with Burden for a 24-yard TD pass, New England scored on a 48-yard pass from Maye to Stevenson with no time remaining on the clock. Stevenson caught the pass on the Chicago 47 and eluded several defenders on his way to the end zone. Borregales made the extra point, which pulled the Patriots closer at 20-14. Chicago extended the margin to 27-14 when Loveland capped the second half’s opening drive with a 12-yard TD catch, but New England answered with a 30-yard scoring pass from Maye to Raridon on the ensuing drive.
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