Notes On A Thursday Night Scorecard: New England at Chicago
Bears 30, Patriots 24
1—Santos! Santos! Santos!
Chicago Bears HC Ben Johnson wasn’t in danger of losing his job…but Cairo Santos saved him weeks of humiliation by nailing a career-long 58-yard field goal to secure the win. (Especially after Santos clanked a 53-yard kick earlier in the fourth.)
2—Caleb Williams making throws on third down from his own goal line late in the game was amazing. Williams: 22/33, 308 yards, 2 touchdowns.
3—Drake Maye: 24/31, 321 yards, 2 touchdowns, and one big fat interception in the end zone that would have put his team ahead in the first half.
4—Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon picked up another sack and now has 4 on the season.
For the record: The season-high for sacks by a cornerback is 6, shared by Shawn Springs (Washington, 2004) and Rod Woodson (Pittsburgh, 1992).
5—Seeing Luther Burden III up close tonight lets you know why it was so easy for the Bears to move off of D.J. Moore.
6—Aesthetically, seeing the Bears in black at Soldier Field…I was looking for Brian Urlacher…And the Ditka sweater-vest is a winner.
7—Although Ditka would have called the Chicago defense a bunch of juice-box boys after the Patriots’ Rhamondre Stevenson’s 48-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown to end the first half.
8—The Bears defense on the Stevenson play is why they won’t win the Super Bowl this year.
9—D’Andre Swift gets popped on top of the knee and yelps in pain… Here’s an idea: wear a knee pad.
10—No one knew, but this was “The Carl Garrett Bowl”—out of New Mexico Highlands, Garrett registered over 6,000 yards from scrimmage and 35 touchdowns in his career…He played four years in New England and two in Chicago…When Walter Payton arrived in 1975, Garrett was sent to the Jets.
11—I didn’t know a handoff to an offensive lineman has to be backward…but I’m not paid to know that…Bears HC Ben Johnson is…
12—Random Mention of The Night: Carl “The Truth” Williams…
13—Bears ran the ball 30 times…Patriots just 17.
14—New England linebacker Christian Elliss had 13 tackles
15—Bears improve to 5-2; Patriots drop to 4-3.
