Thursday night brought Caleb Williams and Drake Maye together again, two years after they went first and third overall in the NFL Draft. With Chicago and New England both entering at 4-2, their latest meeting offered more than a comparison between two young quarterbacks. Both teams had a chance to build on a promising start.
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The Bears left Soldier Field with a 30-24 win, ending the Patriots’ three-game winning streak. But the score only told part of the story, and the quarterback battle was far from the only talking point by the time the night ended.
The Patriots’ coach wasn’t happy with the team’s performance
While the Patriots struggled to contain Chicago’s offense, missed tackles made their task even harder. According to PFF’s initial charting, New England missed 16 tackles, including 10 in the first half, as the Bears built a 20-14 halftime lead. Chicago finished with 405 yards of total offense, leaving head coach Mike Vrabel frustrated with his defense’s execution.
“Tackling wasn’t good enough,” Vrabel said afterward, identifying a fundamental problem behind New England’s inability to slow Chicago down.
Vrabel was less willing to elaborate when the discussion turned to officiating. Asked by reporter Doug Kyed about a false-start penalty on Patriots tackle Will Campbell, he declined to criticize the call.
“I don’t know. I’m not in very good favor with the officiating department, so I probably shouldn’t say anything,” Vrabel said.
His response came after Albert Breer reported that the NFL had fined him $250,000 for his conduct toward officials. The fine was reportedly being held in abeyance and could be rescinded if he avoided further misconduct. Although Vrabel did not explicitly link his restraint to that disciplinary situation, it provided context for his reluctance to discuss Campbell’s penalty.
Al Michaels and Amazon Prime faced fans’ frustration
The frustration extended beyond the field, with some viewers complaining about Prime Video’s coverage of the Patriots-Bears game. Fans reported buffering, stuttering, and drops in picture quality, while some said commercial breaks played smoothly even as the live action appeared blurry or lagged.
The complaints echoed similar criticism during an earlier Seahawks-Broncos broadcast. During that game, viewer Brad Brisco wrote on X:
“Thursday Night Football on @amazon Prime is terrible. Blurry, drops out, buffers. How does the #NFL allow such a crappy product to be broadcast? #TNF.”
His complaint described the same problems some viewers reported during Patriots-Bears. However, those accounts reflected individual viewing experiences and did not establish a nationwide outage or identify the technical cause.
Streaming quality was not the only part of the broadcast drawing criticism. Al Michaels also came under scrutiny after incorrectly calling a fumble during a first-quarter Patriots possession.
During a first-quarter drive, Patriots running back Corey Kiner was tackled on a routine run. Michaels emphatically called, “And, the ball comes out,” even though no fumble occurred and New England retained possession.
The mistake added to a series of errors that have drawn criticism of Michaels during the season, including confusion over player names, incorrect school references, and concerns about his delivery. The discussion has prompted some fans to question whether it is time for the veteran broadcaster to step away.
The contest between Caleb Williams and Drake Maye during the game
After Thursday night’s game, Caleb Williams approached Drake Maye and asked for his jersey after the two exchanged a hug.
“Can I get that?” Williams asked. Maye politely declined the swap on the field in the heat of the tough loss. However, that competitive moment did not take away from the mutual respect between the two.
However, that friendly moment did not take away from the competitive battle the two quarterbacks had just finished.
Williams recorded his second consecutive 300-yard passing game, leading a Bears offense that put together several long scoring drives throughout the evening. He relied heavily on rookie receiver Luther Burden III, connecting with him on deep passes, including a 58-yard gain and a crucial 24-yard touchdown.
In addition to the touchdown pass to Burden, the 24-year-old Washington native threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Colston Loveland.
Williams also protected the ball throughout the game, avoiding turnovers and keeping Chicago’s offense on track. His performance helped the Bears maintain their advantage and set up late-game field goals to preserve the lead. He also became the first Bears quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in consecutive games since Mitch Trubisky accomplished the feat in three straight games in 2018.
On the other side, Maye matched Williams’ passing production and created several big plays despite facing constant pressure. However, a costly turnover proved to be a major setback for New England.
Maye kept New England within reach with a quick response just before halftime. After Williams’ touchdown pass to Burden put Chicago ahead 20-7 with 14 seconds remaining, Maye found A.J. Brown for 18 yards before connecting with Rhamondre Stevenson for a 48-yard touchdown as time expired. The two-play sequence cut the Bears’ lead to 20-14, turning what looked like a comfortable halftime advantage into a one-possession game.
The Patriots continued to answer after the break. When Williams’ 12-yard touchdown pass to Colston Loveland extended Chicago’s lead to 27-14, Maye responded with a 30-yard scoring pass to Eli Raridon, bringing New England back within six points in the third quarter.
However, one costly mistake came in the second quarter when Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson intercepted Maye in the end zone, denying New England a chance to add crucial points.
After the game, Maye took responsibility for the turnover.
“It definitely was a huge point in the game,” he said after the game. “It’s those plays. 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.”
Late in the fourth quarter, Maye had another opportunity to lead a game-winning drive. However, Kyler Gordon sacked him on fourth down, effectively sealing Chicago’s victory.
Maye finished with more passing yards, completing 24 of 31 attempts for 321 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a seven-yard rushing touchdown. However, he also threw an interception. Williams completed 22 of 33 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, helping Chicago secure the win.
How Cairo Santos stood tall in the game for the Bears
While Williams helped lead the offense, Bears kicker Cairo Santos also played a key role in the victory.
Santos opened the scoring with a 43-yard field goal in the first quarter and added a 31-yard kick in the second to keep Chicago ahead.
However, his first attempt of the fourth quarter did not go as planned. After a 13-play drive, Santos attempted a 53-yard field goal that could have extended the Bears’ lead to two scores, but the kick hit the right upright and missed.
Santos was highly critical of himself after the game, expressing frustration about leaving “one play” on the field despite striking the ball well during the week.
He soon got another chance, but a late sack made his task harder. With Chicago leading 27-21, Williams lost 10 yards on third down, pushing the Bears back to New England’s 40-yard line. Ben Johnson chose a 58-yard field-goal attempt over a punt, trusting his kicker despite the earlier miss and the favorable field position another miss would give the Patriots.
The decision paid off. Santos drilled the career-long 58-yard field goal with 1:34 remaining, matching the Bears’ franchise record and extending Chicago’s lead to 30-21. After missing from 53 yards earlier in the quarter, he delivered from five yards farther out to leave New England needing two scores in the closing moments.
New England kept its hopes alive when Andy Borregales made a 47-yard field goal with 37 seconds remaining, cutting Chicago’s lead to 30-24. However, the Bears recovered the ensuing onside kick, denying Maye another possession and securing the victory.
Head coach Ben Johnson continued to trust Santos after checking in with him on the sideline following an injury timeout. Caleb Williams also praised the kicker’s resilience and ability to deliver under pressure.
Still, the Bears faced two unwanted incidents during the game, including a significant injury and a controversial hit that could draw further scrutiny from the NFL.
The Bears’ player was carted off while another risked NFL punishment
Before his night ended with a knee injury, Cole Kmet reached a milestone, becoming only the second tight end in Bears history to record 3,000 career receiving yards. An early reception put him alongside Mike Ditka, but the achievement gave way to concern when Kmet was later carted off the field in the fourth quarter.
With 5:46 remaining in the fourth quarter and Chicago trying to close out its 30-24 victory, Kmet caught an eight-yard pass from Caleb Williams. As he ran up the sideline, he was involved in a heavy collision with Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez and linebacker Robert Spillane.
Kmet immediately grabbed his right knee in visible pain. Trainers attended to him on the field before he managed to get back to his feet and was placed on a medical cart.
As he was taken to the locker room, Kmet gave the Soldier Field crowd a reassuring thumbs-up. He was quickly ruled out for the rest of the game, finishing with three catches for 28 yards.
Ben Johnson offered a concerning initial assessment after the game, saying, “I don’t think it looked very good.”
The Bears coach expected more information Friday, but the team had not announced a definitive diagnosis or recovery timetable in the immediate aftermath of the win. His comments heightened concern about Kmet’s knee without establishing how long the tight end might be sidelined.
After the game, Williams spoke emotionally about Kmet’s importance to the team.
“I don’t have the words to describe what Cole is to me, what Cole is to this team, to this organization. He’s the longest-tenured Bear, I believe. He’s been through it. So, it’s challenging; it’s tough. I’ll be right there with him through every step of whatever the injury is. Cole has been there for me every step of the way, through the first year, the second year, and now through this year. So, I can only do the same for him.”
While Kmet’s injury was a major concern for Chicago, another incident involving one of his teammates could lead to further disciplinary action.
During a second-and-goal play from the seven-yard line, with 11:33 remaining in the second quarter, Drake Maye scrambled toward the end zone. He leaped and stretched his body parallel to the ground in an attempt to score a touchdown.
As Maye reached for the goal line, Bears defensive back Clark Phillips III, wearing No. 20, delivered a heavy hit to the quarterback’s helmet and grabbed his facemask while trying to prevent him from scoring.
Officials initially ruled Maye down just short of the goal line. However, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel successfully challenged the call, and video replay confirmed the touchdown, cutting Chicago’s early lead to 10-7.
Phillips could face further scrutiny from the NFL for the contact, including the potential for a fine if the league determines that he violated its rules regarding helmet contact or facemask grabbing. Fines for certain violations can be substantial, particularly for repeat offenders.
Unfortunately, Maye has also experienced high-profile helmet-to-helmet collisions in the past, including similar incidents during his 2024 rookie season against the New York Jets and the Los Angeles Chargers.
That wraps up a busy Thursday night at Soldier Field, where the Bears earned the win but left with concerns over Cole Kmet’s knee injury. Chicago next visits the Seahawks on November 2, while New England will look to bounce back against the Dolphins in Miami a day earlier.