The Chicago Bears played their final primetime game of the season on Monday night and made sure it was a memorable one for all who were watching. The Bears took down the New England Patriots 33-14 and improved to 3-4 on the season while also snapping their three-game losing streak.
Buy Bears TicketsPatriots head coach Bill Belichick came into Monday’s game tied with former Bears coach George Halas for second-most wins in league history. Fortunately, the Bears honored Halas’ legacy by holding Belichick’s Patriots off thanks to a smart offensive gameplan and key defensive turnovers.
Here’s everything we know following the impressive win.
Final score: Bears 33, Patriots 14
Keys to the game
Justin Fields’ running ability: The Bears offense torched the Patriots defense on the ground with 243 rushing yards, 82 of which came from Justin Fields. The quarterback was lethal on the ground, escaping pressure for big gains and converting numerous first downs on designed runs. His special athleticism was the difference for the offense in this game.
Defensive rookie performances: A lot has been made about general manager Ryan Poles drafting two defensive backs with the Bears’ second-round picks with Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker. Many have been critical about the decision to focus on defense and not offense. But both players shined on Monday night, each getting their first career interception and showing they could be worth the investment to shore up the backend of the defense. Brisker picked off Mac Jones in the redzone in the second quarter and Gordon effectively ended the game with his fourth quarter pick off Zappe.
Sustained drives on offense: The Bears easily won the time of possession battle, holding the ball for over 37 minutes, compared to just 22:46 for the Patriots. They sustained most of their drives, punting just twice all night. Their third-down conversions were clutch as they were able to convert 11-of-18, using a combination of key runs and effective passes from Fields to keep drives alive. It was offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s best game as a playcaller and it kept the Patriots offense off the field, unable to mount a comeback.
It was over when...
It was over when defensive tackle Justin Jones recovered a fumbled handoff late in the first half in Bears territory. The Bears offense had just scored a touchdown to go up 17-14 with under two minutes to go and they were set to receive the second half kickoff.
The fumble between Zappe and receiver Jakobi Meyers gave the Bears another scoring chance, where they wound up kicking a field goal to go up 20-14. They never looked back, scoring the rest of the points of the game and leaving the Patriots wondering how things spiraled out of control.
3 studs of the game
*Justin Fields: The second-year quarterback had arguably the best performance of his career on Monday. He completed 13-of-21 passes for 179 yards with a touchdown and a pick, but was unstoppable on the ground. Fields carried the ball 14 times for 82 yards and a rushing touchdown. The Bears game planned around Fields’ strengths and it paid off in a big way.
**Roquan Smith: Like Fields, Roquan Smith also had his best performance of the season and did a little bit of everything on defense. He notched the Bears only sack of the night on a delayed blitz, picked off Zappe, and led the team in tackles with 12 total, eight of which were solo. Smith looked every bit of the defensive leader he’s supposed to be.
***Jaquan Brisker: It was a coming out party of sorts for Brisker in this primetime win. After having to leave the game temporarily with a groin “injury,” the rookie snagged his first interception of his career and essentially got Mac Jones benched as it was the final pass he threw on the night. Brisker finished the day with seven total tackles, the interception, and one pass defensed. He was all over the field and gave the Patriots fits.
What's next
The Bears return to the early afternoon timeslot on Sunday with a date against the Dallas Cowboys on the road. It will be the first time these two teams meet since 2019 when the Bears demolished Dallas at Soldier Field on a Thursday night in December. Like the Bears, the Cowboys won their Week 7 matchup, beating the Lions 24-6.
