The one thing he couldn’t do.
With under two minutes to play in a one-score game, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams couldn’t escape the arms of Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore, taking a devastating sack.
One that took Chicago out of field goal range, likely forcing them to punt the football back to the New England Patriots, who’d have a chance to smash the heart of every Bears fan in attendance.
As Bears head coach Ben Johnson prepared to send out his punt unit, he asked his special teams coordinator, “Does Cairo want it?”
A 58-yard field goal attempt, which would be a career-long for him, just after he doinked a 53-yarder on their previous drive. Not a single fan in the stands wants him to try the kick. But what does Cairo say?
“I want it.”
PRIMETIME SHOWDOWN
On a night notorious for giving fans absolute stinkers and heavyweight bouts between the Titans and Jaguars, this was a genuinely exciting matchup.
A battle between two quarterbacks from the 2024 NFL Draft Class, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, who both rebounded after rocky starts to the year.
In Williams’ case, it was a hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games. He returned last week for the game against Atlanta and completed 30 out of his 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
In Maye’s case, he was just absolutely terrible through the first three weeks. He rebounded the next three weeks to lead the Patriots to three straight victories, firing on all cylinders heading into Thursday’s game in Chicago.
BEAST OF BURDEN
The big story of the first half was not either quarterback, though; it was Bears receiver Luther Burden III.
On the opening drive, he had a 26-yard catch-and-run that set up the first points of the game on a 43-yard Cairo Santos field goal.
A little later, Williams found Burden all by himself for a 58-yard scamper that put the Bears inside the 5-yard line. Running back D’Andre Swift finished the job on the next play to make it a double-digit lead for Chicago.
New England finally responded with a touchdown drive of their own, with Maye barely keeping his knee off the ground and breaking the plane for the score. Sometimes, an inch is all you need.
On the next drive, a 47-yard kick return from Zavion Thomas meant that Chicago didn’t need to travel very far for Santos to put another three points on the board.
This drive also included a true galaxy-brain moment from Johnson as he called a play where Williams handed the ball offto left guard Joe Thuney, which apparently isn’t allowed.
The No Fun League strikes again.
Fun came back to Chicago on the next drive, as Maye was in the baking spirit and gifted the Bears a turnover by means of a pick to linebacker D’Marco Jackson.
This gave Burden his opportunity to tie the ribbon on his fantastic half as he took a 3rd-and-long screen pass 24 yards to the house. It seems this is why so many play callers call screens on 3rd and forever.
At this point, all the Bears fans in the crowd dressed in their Ditka sweaters in honor of Da Coach (who ironically beat the Patriots in the franchise’s lone Super Bowl win) were sitting real pretty.
Up 20-7. They get the ball to start the second half. Ain’t nothing gonna break their stride.
Oh, they completed a pass to A.J. Brown to midfield? Doesn’t matter, there’s only three seconds left, so it would take a Hail Mary for them to score.
And look at that, they dumped it off to running back Rhamondre Stevenson; what are they doing? There’s no way he’s going to-.
Stevenson scored a 48-yard touchdown to end the half.
Jaws on the floor. Hands on heads.
You’re probably wondering, how could this possibly happen to end a half?
Truthfully, I have no idea. I only heard about this play through my headset. I was operating the game cam for Iowa soccer’s upset win over No. 10 UCLA. Shameless plug, I know.
However, based on the fact that I saw Bears defensive back Jaylon Johnson’s talent listed as “missing” on a milk carton, I think I have an idea.
DEFENSE’S TIME TO SHINE
Well, not quite yet.
Both teams began the second half with touchdowns to their tight ends in honor of National Tight End Day this Sunday.
For Chicago, Colston Loveland rumbled into the end zone off a bootleg. For New England, Eli Raridon ran right by linebacker Devin Bush for a score.
Despite the defenses finally holding both offenses in check, a few heaters from Williams to receiver Rome Odunze allowed Chicago to move the chains and slowly churn out the clock. Crucial grabs for a guy who’s had plenty of drop issues in his young career.
They set up Santos with an opportunity to make it a two-score game from 53 yards out. Not an easy kick by any means, but very makeable.
Santos took this opportunity to bring back past trauma as he doinked the kick off the uprights; no good.
Fortunately for him, his defense had his back and forced another three-and-out.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck soon after.
Tight end Cole Kmet suffered a knee injury and had to be carted off the field. The Bears placed him on injured reserve soon after, ending his season.
Williams stated after the game, “I don’t have the words to describe what Cole is to me, what Cole is to this team, this organization. He’s the longest tenured Bear… He’s been through it.”
It’s a shame Kmet won’t be on the field for the rest of 2026, but for now, his team still had a game to win.
They once again marched all the way down the field and found themselves facing a 3rd and 5 at the Patriots’ 30. With the Pats down to their final timeout, one more first down would ice the game.
In this situation, who else would you rather have with the ball than Iceman? Perhaps someone else on this play, as Williams took a sack. Not just any sack either, a 10-yard one that put the Bears all the way back to the 40.
Santos’ career-long was 55 yards; this kick would be from 58. Not to mention that Santos had just missed a 53-yarder, meaning he’s now missed a field goal in three consecutive games.
BALLS OF STEEL
That being said, if there’s one thing these Chicago Bears are known for, it’s that they will never back down from a challenge.
An anxious crowd watched Santos trot out onto the field and prepare for the kick. He took a breath and stood in his spot right in the middle of the ‘C’ at midfield.
All eyes on him.
Long snapper Scott Daly with a good snap, punter Tory Taylor with a good hold, the kick?
You could’ve put a thread in the middle of the uprights, and this field goal would’ve hit it.
The Patriots did manage to make it a six-point game once again with a field goal on their next drive, but Odunze secured the onside kick for the win.
A major victory for a team that feels like they’re kicking things into high gear.
GAME BALLS
After the game, Ben Johnson felt generous and gave out four game balls to his team.
D’Marco Jackson: His first game ball of the year for making six tackles and a crucial interception in the end zone.
Luther Burden III: His first game ball of the year for his first-half performance, racking up four catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Rome Odunze: His first game ball of the year for hauling in four passes for 69 yards, making key catches in the fourth quarter to keep drives alive.
Cairo Santos: His first game ball of the year for making three out of his four field goals, including the 58-yarder that sealed the victory.
CRANK IT UP TO 12
A luxury of playing on Thursday Night Football is that the Bears now have eleven days to prepare for their next contest, and they’ll need it. After playing the runner-up of Super Bowl LX, the Bears take on the champions of that game, the Seattle Seahawks, on the road on Monday Night Football.
While the Seahawks haven’t been playing at the championship-caliber level they were at last year, they still have dangerous players like receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba who can take over a game in an instant.
As for the Patriots, let’s hope they take losing to the Bears better than the Atlanta Falcons did.
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