Bears Hold Off Patriots 30-24 on Thursday Night as Santos Hits Career-Long 58-Yarder

The Chicago Bears led from start to finish on Thursday night and still had to survive the last minute. Chicago beat the New England Patriots 30-24 at Soldier Field on Thursday, Oct. 22, moving to 5-2 on the season and dropping New England to 4-3.

The Bears honored former coach Mike Ditka before the game, then played the kind of game he would have liked for most of the night. Chicago scored the first 10 points, answered every New England push, and closed the game out with a career-long field goal and an onside kick recovery.

Caleb Williams completed 22 of 33 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Drake Maye answered with 24 of 31 passes for 321 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and he also ran four times for 26 yards and a touchdown. Chicago outgained New England 405 yards to 380 in a matchup of the top two picks from the 2024 draft class.

A wild end to the first half

Chicago led 10-0 early and stretched the margin to 20-7 late in the second quarter. Luther Burden did most of the damage. His 26-yard catch set up a 43-yard field goal by Cairo Santos, a long catch that ended at the New England 4 set up a touchdown run by D'Andre Swift, and his 24-yard touchdown catch with 14 seconds left in the half gave Chicago its 20-7 lead. Burden caught four passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, all before halftime.

Chicago also took the ball away in the half. Linebacker D'Marco Jackson stepped in front of a Maye throw toward tight end Eli Raridon near the Chicago 15 for an interception.

New England still went into the locker room with momentum. With seconds left in the half, Maye dumped a short pass to running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who ran 48 yards untouched for a touchdown on the last play of the half. The score cut the Chicago lead to 20-14 at the break. Stevenson finished with five catches for 93 yards and a touchdown and ran six times for 22 yards.

Santos seals it from 58 yards

New England cut the lead to 27-21 in the third quarter when Maye found Raridon for a 30-yard touchdown. Chicago took that six-point lead into the fourth quarter and nearly stretched it, but Santos missed a 53-yard field goal off the right upright.

He got a harder chance late and made it. The drive that set it up cost Chicago tight end Cole Kmet, who was hurt on an 8-yard catch and left the game. After Williams took a 10-yard sack on third down at the New England 30, Santos kicked a career-long 58-yard field goal with 1:34 remaining to put Chicago ahead 30-21. Andy Borregales answered with a 47-yard field goal for New England with 37 seconds left. The Patriots tried an onside kick, Rome Odunze recovered it for Chicago, and Williams kneeled out the clock.

Swift carried 22 times for 78 yards and a touchdown for Chicago. A.J. Brown caught three passes for 48 yards for New England, which had won three straight games before Thursday.

What comes next

Chicago plays at Seattle on Monday, Nov. 2. New England plays at Miami on Sunday, Nov. 1.