Caleb Williams threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns and the Chicago Bears beat Drake Maye and the New England Patriots 30-24 on Thursday night.
Williams was 22 of 33 passing in his second game. He became the first Bears quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in consecutive games since Mitch Trubisky’s three-game streak in 2018.
“It’s amazing [having Williams on the field]. His leadership, competitiveness, everyone around him feels it. He gets us going,” Bears running back D’Andre Swift said after the game.
With the longtime friends part of the 2024 NFL draft, Williams got the better of Maye in their second meeting. Williams went No. 1 to Chicago and Maye was selected No. 3 by New England.
Luther Burden had four catches for 130 yards for Chicago (5-2) and Colston Loveland had a 12-yard touchdown reception. Cairo Santos made a career-long and franchise-record 58-yard field goal with 1:34 left after missing a 53-yard attempt early in the final quarter. That made it 30-21, but Maye then drove New England to Andy Borregales’ 47-yarder with 37 seconds left. However, Chicago recovered the ensuing fumble and ran out the clock.
Maye was 24 for 31 for 321 yards and two touchdowns. It also cost him in the end zone in the first half.
New England (4-3) has won three straight games behind Maye, who threw 10 TD passes and one 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 TD catch in the third quarter.
It was Chicago’s first home game since the death of Mike Ditka on October 9. The Bears gave the stalwart and longtime Hall of Fame coach a pregame moment of silence and also handed out fake mustaches to the crowd of 60,520 at Soldier Field. Ditka’s No. 89 jersey was placed in the stands, and fans wore Bears sweaters in a callback to what he wore on the sidelines as a coach.
The Bears took a 10-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to Santos’ 43-yard field goal and Swift’s four-yard run.
New England responded when Maye scored on a seven-yard run early in the second quarter, but Santos made a 31-yard field goal to put Chicago up 13-7.
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. Stevenson caught a pass at the Chicago 47 and eluded several defenders on his way to the end zone. Borregales made the extra point that brought the Patriots within 20-14. Chicago extended its lead to 27-14 when Loveland capped the opening drive of the second half with a 12-yard TD catch, but New England answered on the next drive with a 30-yard scoring pass from Maye to Raridon.