Patriots Dominate Bears as Drake Maye Outshines Caleb Williams

The New England Patriots secured a decisive 19-3 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, with rookie quarterback Drake Maye outdueling Caleb Williams in a battle of highly-touted first-year signal-callers.

Maye directed five scoring drives for New England (3-7), who snapped a losing skid after dropping seven of their previous eight games. The Patriots' defense overwhelmed the Bears, sacking Williams a season-high nine times.

The Bears (4-5), coming off back-to-back losses at Washington and Arizona, struggled once again, managing only 142 total yards and converting just 1 of 14 third downs. Fans voiced their displeasure in the closing moments, chanting “Fire ‘Flus!” as pressure mounted on Chicago head coach Matt Eberflus.

Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall draft pick, completed 15 of 25 passes for 184 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Meanwhile, top overall pick Caleb Williams faced significant difficulties, going 16 of 30 for 120 yards. The loss ended the Bears' eight-game winning streak at Soldier Field.

New England's defensive line was a standout, with Anfernee Jennings and Deatrich Wise each recording two sacks. Joey Slye also contributed significantly, converting four field goals, including a 37-yarder that extended the Patriots' lead to 10 points by halftime.

The game's early stages were riddled with missed opportunities for Chicago. Despite a strong punt return by DeAndre Carter to New England's 47-yard line, the Bears' first drive ended in a quick three-and-out.

The Patriots took an early 3-0 lead with a 30-yard field goal by Slye. On the subsequent possession, the Bears drove to New England's 31-yard line but were pushed out of field goal range after Williams took an 8-yard sack from Wise instead of throwing the ball away.

Chicago's T.J. Edwards then picked off a pass from Maye near midfield, but the Bears once again failed to capitalize, going three-and-out. Cairo Santos eventually tied the game at 3-3 with a field goal midway through the second quarter, capping off a drive that stalled at the Patriots' 14-yard line.

Maye responded with a 10-play, 70-yard drive, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown pass to rookie Ja'Lynn Polk, putting the Patriots up 10-3. With less than two minutes left in the first half, New England extended their lead as Slye kicked a 37-yard field goal after another stalled Chicago drive.

In the second half, the Bears' offensive struggles continued, with fans offering sarcastic cheers following a 7-yard reception by tight end Cole Kmet. Kmet, who was not targeted in the previous game, saw limited involvement again this week.

Looking ahead, the Bears face a challenging stretch, with six of their final eight games against NFC North opponents, starting with a home matchup against the Green Bay Packers next week.