The Chicago Bears earned a 30-24 Thursday night win over the New England Patriots with quarterback Caleb Williams making pivotal throws in a back-and-forth matchup with Drake Maye. The lingering issue came before halftime, when a defensive collapse gave New England an explosive touchdown and kept a strong overall performance from feeling complete.
Locked On Bears host Lorin Cox argued that Williams won the quarterback matchup by delivering difficult intermediate throws when Chicago needed first downs, not merely by avoiding mistakes. Cox said Williams consistently attacked tight windows over the middle and made enough plays under pressure to keep drives alive, even without leaning on a barrage of deep throws.
Cox also highlighted the quarterback’s response to mistakes around him. Bears tight end Colston Loveland had two drops, according to Cox, but Williams went back to him immediately after one of them. The host viewed that sequence as a meaningful display of trust, particularly in a game where wide receiver Rome Odunze also missed a potential touchdown opportunity.
Chicago linebacker D’Marco Jackson’s red zone interception of Maye became the clearest separator in Cox’s assessment of two otherwise closely matched teams. Cox credited the Bears for making fewer damaging mistakes, while noting that Cairo Santos recovered from an earlier miss to make the late field goal that helped secure the victory.
The defensive tape still left an obvious problem to address. With three seconds left in the first half and the ball at the Bears’ 48-yard line, Maye threw a quick pass to Rhamondre Stevenson. The running back raced toward the sideline, then cut back to the middle of the field and wasn’t touched as he cruised to the end zone.
Cox called the play inexcusable but maintained that it distorted the perception of a unit that otherwise bottled up the Patriots’ rushing attack, generated pressure and used aggressive run blitzes to create long passing situations. The Bears will not be able to call one breakdown an isolated mistake if it resurfaces.
Monday night’s road matchup with the Seattle Seahawks gives Chicago a different test, especially against an offense Cox said brings more vertical speed at receiver.
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