Drake Maye got absolutely clobbered with a sack on the Patriots’ opening drive, and it set the tone for a brutal first quarter where New England’s offense couldn’t even put a single point on the board against the Bears. Chicago, meanwhile, rolled into Soldier Field and lit up the scoreboard with 10 points by the end of the first quarter, making a clear statement in this “Thursday Night Football” clash.
Maye’s Struggles Continue While Williams Flashes for Chicago
Both the Bears and Patriots entered this prime-time matchup at a strong 4-2 record, but their paths there couldn’t be more different. For the Patriots, adversity has been self-inflicted, battling significant injuries but also seeing Drake Maye and the offense severely underperform in the early weeks. Sure, they’ve turned it around with three consecutive wins to position themselves as “legitimate AFC East contenders,” but the first quarter tonight sure didn’t look like it. Maye and the Patriots couldn’t find any rhythm.
On the other side, the Bears have weathered a storm themselves, cycling through three different quarterbacks in six weeks after Caleb Williams was sidelined for three games with a hamstring injury. Williams returned last week for a win over the Falcons and clearly made an impact. Tonight, he’s showing why he’s the No. 1 pick from the 2024 draft, squaring off against Maye, the No. 3 pick. This is their second meeting, with Maye and the Patriots winning an “ugly game” back in 2024. But in this one, the momentum is all with Chicago.
Bears Pounce Early, Patriots Offense Stalls
From the jump, the Bears brought the heat. Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, active despite being downgraded to questionable with an illness, watched as Kyler Gordon came up huge twice on New England’s opening drive, ending it with a powerful sack of Maye on fourth down. That set up Cairo Santos to drill a field goal after some miscommunication between Williams and Kalif Raymond meant a missed opportunity on third down, putting the Bears on the board 3-0.
The Patriots offense just couldn’t get going, punting again in A.J. Brown’s second game back. Then, Chicago dropped the hammer. After both teams traded three-and-outs, Luther Burden III broke free, taking the ball 58 yards and inside the five-yard line. Just moments later, D’Andre Swift punched it in for the first touchdown of the night, extending Chicago’s lead to 10-0 as the first quarter expired. The Bears also started the game by honoring legendary tight end and coach Mike Ditka in their first home game since his death, adding an emotional layer to this dominant start.
This game from Soldier Field kicked off at 8:15 p.m. ET, and if the first quarter is any indication, both these “contenders” have a lot to prove in the remaining three quarters.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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