Bears Beat Patriots 30-24 as Williams and Maye Both Top 300 Yards

The Chicago Bears beat the New England Patriots 30-24 at Soldier Field on Thursday, Oct. 22, in a prime-time game that pitted the top two quarterbacks from the 2024 draft against each other. Chicago improved to 5-2, while New England fell to 4-3, according to ChiCitySports.

Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick that year, outplayed Drake Maye, taken third, in their second career meeting. Maye won the first, 19-3, as rookies, per NFL.com, so the head-to-head series is now even.

The key numbers from Bears-Patriots

• 308 passing yards for Williams. He threw two touchdowns and no interceptions, completing 22 of 33 passes, according to ChiCitySports. NFL.com reported he is the first Bears quarterback with 300 or more passing yards in consecutive games since Mitchell Trubisky in 2018.
• 321 passing yards for Maye. He completed 24 of 31 passes (77.4 percent, a season high) with two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for 26 yards and a score, NFL.com reported.
• 13th game with multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions. That is Williams' career count, which NFL.com said moved him past Hall of Famer Sid Luckman for second-most in Bears history. Jay Cutler leads with 18.
• 70 rushing yards for the Patriots. USA Today said this was a season low for the team. Maye was sacked twice and hit six times despite a patchwork offensive line, the paper reported.
• 58 yards. That was the length of a field goal attempt by Bears kicker Cairo Santos in the final 94 seconds. USA Today said it was a personal best for him and effectively put the game out of reach.

How the game turned

NFL.com said the biggest difference between the quarterbacks was a second-quarter interception by Maye in the red zone, which the Bears converted into a touchdown. Maye said afterward that he wished he had that throw back and that such plays can swing a game. USA Today called it a costly mistake in a game where every point mattered.

The Patriots still threatened a comeback after trailing by 13 points in the third quarter. NFL.com reported that Williams made accurate throws to escape trouble, including all five of his attempts while on the move, for 62 yards. He also ran five times for 18 yards, which the outlet said showed his hamstring is no longer a problem. USA Today noted a 48-yard touchdown catch-and-run by Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson at the end of the first half.

“These nights are awesome,” Williams said, adding that a short-week prime-time game shows a team who it is. Bears coach Ben Johnson called Maye an outstanding player who is hard to contain and said he seems to have found his rhythm.

Why it matters for both teams

For Chicago, the win extends a recovery after a Week 5 loss to Green Bay, which NFL.com described as a blowout. ChiCitySports reported that Williams has now played well in two straight games after missing three outings with a hamstring injury. Reports differ slightly on when the injury occurred. USA Today placed it in Week 2.

The game also brought a possible new concern. A Bears tight end who had missed one game in his career was carted off in the fourth quarter with an apparent knee injury, USA Today reported. Johnson said the team would know more the next day but that it did not look good. The player's status had not been announced in the sources.

For New England, the loss came with a lopsided turnover story. USA Today noted that Maye had turned the ball over nine times in the team's 2-2 start, then went without a turnover in Weeks 5 and 6 before Thursday's interception.

Before kickoff, the stadium held a moment of silence for Mike Ditka, the Bears coach who led the team to its Super Bowl win and died Oct. 9, according to USA Today.

What comes next

ChiCitySports reported that Chicago has 10 days before its Week 8 game against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 2 at Lumen Field. The Bears then host Tampa Bay in Week 9.

New England visits the Miami Dolphins, then hosts the Green Bay Packers on Nov. 8 at Gillette Stadium.

After the final whistle, the two quarterbacks hugged at midfield. Williams then asked Maye for his jersey, saying “Can I get that?” in a moment captured by NFL on Prime Video, ChiCitySports reported.

Around Prague, based on reporting by NFL.com, ChiCitySports, USA Today