Drake Maye stood there, shaking his head, an audible sigh escaping him after the Patriots’ brutal 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday night. He was replaying that second-quarter interception, the one he knows helped swing the entire game. “Huge point in the game. Gosh,” Maye said, frustration etched on his face. “Those plays can swing the game, can impact the game, and that was definitely one of them right there. I wish I definitely had that one back.” Man, you could feel that regret from a mile away.
That One Play He Wants Back
The Patriots offense had actually started to find its rhythm, after a sluggish first quarter dealing with Chicago’s constant pressure. Maye had already punched in a rushing touchdown to close out the first, and then he was driving them right back into the red zone, looking to take the lead. But that’s when it happened: a pass up the seam to rookie tight end Eli Raridon sailed short and was picked off. Just like that, seven crucial points evaporated. It cost them big time in that 30-24 final score. What’s worse, Maye himself said they hit “the same exact play later in the game,” a 30-yard touchdown pass to Raridon in the third quarter. He knows what could have been. “I like my chances in there. It’s frustrating… I let my team down,” he admitted. That’s a gut punch, right there.
A Glimpse of Greatness, But Too Late
Even with that costly turnover, Maye actually did a lot to keep New England in the fight against Caleb Williams and Chicago’s high-powered offense. The running game barely gave him any help, but he still completed a season-high 77.4% of his passes. And get this, he was nearly perfect when under pressure, hitting 11 of 12 attempts for 151 yards and a touchdown. That’s a serious bright spot you can’t ignore, even in a tough loss. Head coach Mike Vrabel was right there to back him up too, saying, “He gave us a chance. He competed. I know he’d like to have that one back. He’ll learn from it like he always does. I’m glad he’s ours.”
But here’s the kicker: trailing 27-21 in the fourth quarter, the Patriots had two shots with the ball to take the lead, and they managed just one first down between them. After that, the Bears ate up more than 11 minutes of clock on their next two possessions. Those missed opportunities weighed on Maye just as much as the pick. “That’s probably what I’ll be thinking about most over the weekend, having two chances with the ball down 27-21,” Maye said. “We got a good chance to go score and trust our defense… We just fell short tonight.” It’s a brutal reminder of how thin the margins are in this league. You just know he’s going to be stewing on this one, ready to learn and come back swinging.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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