NFL Week 7 | Thursday Night Football | October 22, 2026
Final Score: Chicago Bears 30, New England Patriots 24
The Chicago Bears held off the New England Patriots 30–24 on Thursday Night Football in a game that featured explosive touchdowns, a bizarre ending to the first half, and one of the gutsiest coaching decisions of the season.
Chicago controlled much of the opening half, but New England refused to go away. Drake Maye kept the Patriots competitive, while Caleb Williams and the Bears found ways to respond whenever the pressure increased.
In the end, a career-long 58-yard field goal from Cairo Santos proved to be the difference.
First Quarter: Chicago Establishes Control
The Bears wasted little time establishing themselves offensively.
Chicago opened the scoring with a 43-yard field goal from Cairo Santos before Luther Burden III delivered one of the biggest plays of the quarter, breaking free for a 58-yard catch-and-run.
That explosive gain helped set up a four-yard rushing touchdown from D’Andre Swift, extending Chicago’s lead to 10–0.
New England struggled to generate the same offensive rhythm early, while the Bears looked comfortable moving the football.
End of First Quarter: Bears 10, Patriots 0
Second Quarter: An Unbelievable Ending Before Halftime
New England finally responded in the second quarter.
Drake Maye used his mobility to make plays, eventually scoring on a seven-yard touchdown run. The Patriots had cut the deficit to 10–7 and were back in the contest.
Chicago answered with another Santos field goal, this time from 31 yards, extending its lead to 13–7.
The Patriots then put together another promising possession. Maye connected with Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon, while Rhamondre Stevenson helped move the football deep into Chicago territory.
However, Maye made a costly mistake, throwing an interception in the end zone and wasting an opportunity to take the lead.
Chicago capitalized.
Williams connected with Burden for a 22-yard gain, with a roughing-the-passer penalty adding another 15 yards. Despite taking a sack late in the half, Williams delivered on third-and-17, finding Burden for a touchdown.
The Bears led 20–7 and appeared ready to enter halftime with a commanding advantage.
Then came one of the most unbelievable plays of the NFL season.
With only seconds remaining, Maye found Rhamondre Stevenson on a short pass. What should have been a harmless completion turned into a 48-yard touchdown as Chicago’s defenders took poor angles and collided while attempting to make the tackle.
Stevenson raced into the end zone as time expired, stunning Chicago and cutting the deficit to six points.
Instead of heading into halftime down 13, New England had suddenly made it a one-possession game.
Halftime: Bears 20, Patriots 14
Third Quarter: Both Quarterbacks Deliver
Chicago came out of halftime determined to regain control.
Williams kept the opening possession alive with an impressive scramble on third-and-two. Swift followed with a nine-yard run and a 12-yard catch-and-run, moving the Bears deeper into New England territory.
Facing second-and-15, Williams found rookie tight end Colston Loveland for a 23-yard gain.
Loveland later finished the possession with a touchdown reception, fighting through defenders to reach the end zone.
Chicago had extended its advantage to 27–14.
But New England wasn’t finished.
Maye continued attacking Chicago’s secondary, including a deep attempt to A.J. Brown that narrowly fell incomplete.
The Patriots eventually found the breakthrough they needed when Maye connected with rookie tight end Eli Raridon for a beautiful 30-yard touchdown.
Suddenly, the Bears’ comfortable lead was down to six points.
End of Third Quarter: Bears 27, Patriots 21
Fourth Quarter: A Gutsy Decision Seals the Victory
The final quarter became a battle of field position, defensive stops, and clock management.
Chicago’s offense went three-and-out, giving Maye an opportunity to lead New England into the lead for the first time.
However, the Patriots couldn’t capitalize and eventually had to give the football back.
With Chicago trying to drain the clock, New England appeared to intentionally jump offside on third-and-inches. The encroachment penalty gave Chicago an automatic first down, but it may have been a calculated attempt to preserve valuable time.
The Patriots defense then delivered a huge play.
Williams was sacked and nearly fumbled, pushing Chicago out of comfortable field goal range.
At that point, punting would have been the conservative decision.
Instead, the Bears trusted Cairo Santos.
Chicago sent its kicker onto the field for a 58-yard attempt, and Santos delivered the biggest kick of the night.
A career-long 58-yard field goal. Good.
The Bears extended their lead to 30–21, forcing New England to score twice.
It was an enormous gamble, but one that paid off.
The Patriots still managed to make things interesting.
A pass interference penalty drawn by Efton Chism III helped move New England across midfield. Maye then connected with Demario Douglas for 16 yards, putting the Patriots into field goal range.
New England converted the kick, cutting the deficit to 30–24 and setting up an onside kick attempt.
But Chicago was ready.
Rome Odunze recovered the onside kick, ending New England’s hopes of a miraculous comeback.
Final Score: Bears 30, Patriots 24
EST Takeaways
1. Chicago’s Decision to Trust Cairo Santos Won the Game
The biggest decision of the night came after Williams was sacked late in the fourth quarter.
Chicago could have punted and forced New England to drive the length of the field.
Instead, the Bears attempted a 58-yard field goal.
Had Santos missed, the Patriots would have received excellent field position with an opportunity to win the game.
But Santos delivered a career-long kick, extending Chicago’s lead to nine points.
That decision deserves tremendous credit. Sometimes winning requires trusting your players rather than choosing the safest option.
2. Luther Burden III Was a Difference-Maker
Burden gave Chicago the explosive plays it needed throughout the first half.
His 58-yard catch-and-run helped establish Chicago’s early advantage, while his touchdown on third-and-17 was another huge moment.
Whenever the Bears needed a big play through the air, Burden seemed capable of providing one.
Chicago has another dangerous weapon in its receiving corps.
3. Drake Maye Showed Resilience, but the Interception Hurt
Maye deserves credit for keeping New England competitive.
He scored with his legs, delivered a beautiful touchdown pass to Raridon, and helped produce the extraordinary Stevenson touchdown before halftime.
However, his end-zone interception was a major missed opportunity.
In a six-point loss, leaving a potential touchdown on the field matters.
Maye made plenty of impressive plays, but New England needed cleaner execution in the biggest moments.
4. Chicago’s Defense Cannot Allow Another Stevenson Touchdown
The final play of the first half was simply unacceptable from Chicago’s defense.
Stevenson turned a short completion into a 48-yard touchdown because multiple defenders failed to finish the play.
Poor tackling angles and a collision between defenders allowed New England to steal seven points.
Against stronger opponents, mistakes like that can completely change the outcome.
Chicago won the game, but that sequence needs to be addressed.
5. The Bears Found a Way to Win
Not every victory is going to be comfortable.
Chicago built a lead, watched New England fight back, and still found a way to finish the job.
Williams made important plays, Swift contributed in both the running and passing games, Loveland delivered a second-half touchdown, and Santos stepped up when everything was on the line.
The Bears weren’t perfect, but they were good enough when it mattered.
Final Thoughts
Thursday Night Football gave us just about everything: explosive offense, costly turnovers, a ridiculous touchdown before halftime, and a fourth-quarter field goal decision that could have gone horribly wrong.
New England deserves credit for refusing to quit, but Chicago made the plays necessary to protect its lead.
For the Bears, the biggest takeaway is simple: they found a way to win a game that could easily have slipped away.
And for Cairo Santos, that 58-yard field goal might be one of the defining moments of Chicago’s season.
Final: Chicago Bears 30, New England Patriots 24.
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