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 victory Thursday night.
Williams was 22 of 33 passing in his second game after being sidelined with a hamstring injury. He became the first Bears quarterback to throw for over 300 yards in consecutive games since Mitch Trubisky played in three games in 2018.
“It’s amazing (to have Williams on the field). His leadership, his competitiveness, everyone here feels it. He keeps us going,” Bears running back D’Andre Swift said after the game.
Williams beat Maye in their second meeting since the longtime friends were in 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. Cairo Santos made a 58-yard field goal with 1:34 left, a career long and tying the franchise record, after missing a 53-yard attempt earlier in the final quarter. That made the score 30-21, but Maye then drove New England within range of Andy Borregales’ 47-yard field goal with 37 seconds left. However, Chicago recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran down the clock.
Maye was 24 of 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 straight games behind Maye, who threw 10 touchdown passes and an interception during the winning streak. Rhamondre Stevenson had five catches for 93 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots. Eli Raridon had a 30-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.
It was Chicago’s first home game since the death of Mike Ditka on October 9. The Bears saluted the Hall of Fame tight end and longtime coach with a moment of silence before the game, and they also handed out fake mustaches to the crowd of 60,520 at Soldier Field. Ditka’s No. 89 jersey was dotted around the stands, and fans also donned Bears sweatshirts as a reminder of the gear he wore on the sidelines as coach.
The Bears took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on 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 kicked 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 left on the clock. Stevenson caught the pass at the Chicago 47 and eluded several defenders on his way to the end zone. Borregales kicked the extra point, bringing the Patriots closer to 20-14. Chicago extended the margin to 27–14 when Loveland capped the first drive of the second half with a 12-yard touchdown run, but New England responded with a 30-yard scoring pass from Maye to Raridon on the ensuing drive.
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