Patriots vs Bears Score: Drake Maye's 321 Yards Not Enough as Caleb Williams Leads Chicago to 30-24 Win at Soldier Field

CHICAGO — The New England Patriots got a huge night from Drake Maye, but one costly mistake was the difference. Maye threw for 321 yards and two touchdowns, yet his end-zone interception in the second quarter haunted New England all night as Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears beat the Patriots 30-24 on Thursday Night Football at Soldier Field.

The Patriots vs Bears final score snapped New England's three-game winning streak and dropped the Patriots to 4-3, while the Bears improved to 5-2. Here's the thing, Pats Nation: the numbers say this was a duel Maye basically won — and the one play everyone will remember says otherwise.


Drake Maye New England Patriots quarterback in a red No. 10 jersey throwing a football


Drake Maye threw for 321 yards and two touchdowns in the Patriots' 30-24 loss to the Bears at Soldier Field. (File photo)

Patriots vs Bears recap: Chicago strikes first and never trails at Soldier Field

Chicago set the tone early. Cairo Santos opened the scoring with a 43-yard field goal, and D'Andre Swift powered in a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Bears a 10-0 lead late in the first quarter. The Patriots were already fighting uphill — exactly what our Patriots vs Bears injury report warned about, with both starting guards out and the offensive line reshuffled in front of Maye.

Maye answered the way franchise quarterbacks do, scoring on a 7-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. Santos pushed the lead back to 13-7 with a 31-yard field goal, and then the game turned on one throw.

Drake Maye's end-zone interception was the play that changed everything

With the Patriots driving late in the second quarter, Maye looked for rookie tight end Eli Raridon in the end zone — and Bears linebacker D'Marco Jackson intercepted the pass for a touchback. Instead of a lead or at least three points, New England got nothing, and as CLNS Media reported, Maye was visibly frustrated about it after the game.

"It definitely was a huge point in the game. It's those plays that 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," Maye said.

Head coach Mike Vrabel put it simply, via the Providence Journal: "It's a thin margin when you play good teams. We did some good things. But again, we didn't do enough." In a game decided by six points, that end-zone pick was at least a 10-point swing.

Caleb Williams outduels Drake Maye in battle of 2024 NFL Draft quarterbacks


Caleb Williams Chicago Bears quarterback wearing No. 18 walking on the field at Soldier Field in Chicago


Caleb Williams threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns as the Bears beat the Patriots 30-24 on Thursday Night Football. (File photo)

Let's be real: both young quarterbacks showed up. The matchup of the No. 1 pick (Williams) and the No. 3 pick (Maye) from the 2024 NFL Draft absolutely lived up to the hype, and the USA TODAY box score stats tell the story:

  • Drake Maye stats vs Bears: 24-of-31 passing, 321 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 117.8 passer rating; 4 carries, 26 yards, 1 rushing TD
  • Caleb Williams stats vs Patriots: 22-of-33 passing, 308 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 116.7 passer rating

Maye was the more efficient thrower. Williams was the cleaner one — zero turnovers — and on the road on a short week, that was the ballgame. Chicago also got a monster night from rookie Luther Burden III, who caught 4 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, including a 58-yard explosive play and a 24-yard touchdown in the final seconds of the first half.

Rhamondre Stevenson's 48-yard touchdown gave Patriots fans hope at halftime


Rhamondre Stevenson New England Patriots running back wearing No. 38 carrying the football during an NFL game


Rhamondre Stevenson caught five passes for 93 yards, including a 48-yard touchdown on the final play of the first half. (File photo)

Just when it looked like Chicago would cruise into halftime up 20-7, Maye found Rhamondre Stevenson on a short pass on the final play of the first half — and Stevenson weaved through the Bears defense for an unbelievable 48-yard touchdown to cut it to 20-14. Stevenson finished with 5 catches for 93 yards, and for a moment, Pats Nation had every reason to believe.

Chicago reopened the gap when Colston Loveland capped the opening drive of the second half with a 12-yard touchdown catch to make it 27-14. Maye answered with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Eli Raridon, and late in the fourth, Santos buried a career-long 58-yard field goal to make it 30-21 with 1:34 left. Andy Borregales hit a 47-yarder with 37 seconds to go, but the Bears recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock, as NESN's live Patriots vs Bears coverage detailed throughout the night.

The Patriots run game is a real problem — and the stats prove it

Here's the number that should worry every Patriots fan: Drake Maye led New England in rushing. Maye's 4 carries for 26 yards topped Stevenson (6 carries, 22 yards), Corey Kiner (4 carries, 13 yards) and TreVeyon Henderson (3 carries, 9 yards). When your quarterback is your run game behind a patchwork line — the same line questions we covered in the Morgan Moses playing status update — every drive becomes a one-man show, and one mistake decides the night.

It didn't help that A.J. Brown was quiet again, finishing with just 3 catches for 48 yards, or that the defense missed cornerback help on a night when safety Kevin Byard's return to Chicago was supposed to give New England an inside edge on Williams.


Soldier Field Chicago Illinois at night aerial view with the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan


Soldier Field in Chicago, where the Patriots' three-game winning streak ended on Thursday Night Football. (File photo)

What the Patriots' loss to the Bears means for the AFC East race

At 4-3, the Patriots are still right in the thick of the AFC East race, and the mini-bye after a Thursday game comes at the perfect time for a banged-up roster to get healthy. The flip side? Good teams win these coin-flip games, and New England has now lost the turnover battle in exactly the kind of spot a playoff team has to steal on the road.

What's next for the Patriots? At Miami Dolphins on November 1

The Patriots get 10 days to regroup before the Patriots at Miami Dolphins game on Sunday, November 1 at 4:25 PM ET at Hard Rock Stadium. Keep it locked on Boston Sport News for Patriots injury updates, starting lineup news and the full game preview — and if you missed last night's other Boston story, don't miss how the Bruins crushed the Predators 6-0 behind Michael DiPietro's first NHL shutout.

Patriots vs Bears: Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Patriots vs Bears game on Thursday Night Football?

The Chicago Bears beat the New England Patriots 30-24 on Thursday, October 22, 2026 at Soldier Field in Chicago. The win moved the Bears to 5-2 and dropped the Patriots to 4-3.

What were Drake Maye's stats against the Bears?

Drake Maye completed 24 of 31 passes for 321 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, and added 26 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on 4 carries.

What were Caleb Williams' stats against the Patriots?

Caleb Williams completed 22 of 33 passes for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns with no interceptions, leading Chicago to its fifth win of the season.

When do the New England Patriots play next?

The Patriots play at the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 4:25 PM ET at Hard Rock Stadium, after a 10-day mini-bye.

Final score: Chicago Bears 30, New England Patriots 24
Quarter by quarter: Patriots 0-14-7-3 | Bears 10-10-7-3

More Patriots news on Boston Sport News

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Location: Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA

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