New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye kept his team within striking distance Thursday night in Chicago, but one failed red zone opportunity stood out in a 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears. Maye completed 24 of 31 passes for 321 yards, threw two touchdown passes and added a rushing score, yet his interception in the end zone came in a game decided by six points.
Locked On Patriots host Nick Cattles pinpointed the interception as the Patriots’ most damaging offensive error. He said Maye had two workable throws to rookie tight end Eli Raridon, either placing the ball over the underneath defender or throwing back shoulder, but instead delivered it directly to the linebacker.
New England coach Mike Vrabel said Maye gave the Patriots a chance and would learn from the throw, while also noting that the team failed to convert its lone red zone trip. The Patriots recovered later when Maye found Raridon for a 30-yard touchdown, but the earlier turnover removed an opportunity to build a lead against a Bears offense that controlled much of the fourth quarter.
Cattles’ larger concern was that the interception fit a familiar pattern. He also cited missed tackles, costly penalties and a lack of takeaways as errors that made a road win difficult. Vrabel agreed after the game that the tackling was not good enough against Chicago’s skill players and said New England needed to tackle better and create turnovers.
Maye’s production kept the loss from becoming a referendum on the quarterback. He threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to New England running back Rhamondre Stevenson on a broken play to end the first half, then hit Raridon for a 30-yard score despite Chicago’s pressure packages. The Patriots still left Soldier Field at 4-3, with their offense showing it can generate explosive plays even while the team searches for a cleaner formula.
New England has a longer break before its Week 8 trip to face the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 1. The Patriots’ most immediate task: Turn Maye’s efficient play into points while cutting down the mistakes that erased their margin for error in Chicago.
Patriots News and Notes
– Running backs Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Corey Kiner combined for 13 carries and 44 yards against Chicago. Cattles criticized the ground game after a night when the Patriots could not establish enough balance to ease the pressure on Maye.
– New England Patriots guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve before Thursday’s game. The move requires him to miss at least four games, leaving an already strained interior offensive line to rely on replacements such as Walter Rouse and Matt Pryor.
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