Best start since 2020 for the Chicago Bears

On Thursday night, Chicago Bears fans donned fake mustaches and old jerseys to pay tribute to Mike Ditka, the team's former tight end and head coach, who died on October 9 at the age of 86.

Their favorite team delivered a victory worthy of the occasion, beating the New England Patriots 30-24.

With this win, Chicago now has a 5-2 record, its best start since 2020. The Patriots, meanwhile, suffered their third road loss.

The highly anticipated showdown between Caleb Williams and Drake Maye—two friends drafted first and third overall in 2024—went in favor of the Bears' quarterback. Williams threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over. He became the first Chicago quarterback since Mitch Trubisky in 2018 to surpass 300 passing yards in two consecutive games. Maye racked up 321 yards and two touchdown passes, but he was also intercepted once.

That interception proved costly. With his team trailing 13-7 late in the second quarter, Maye had a pass in the end zone intercepted by D'Marco Jackson. The Bears capitalized: Luther Burden III caught a 24-yard pass for a touchdown with 14 seconds left in the half. The receiver finished the night with 130 yards.

The Bears, however, made a mistake on the final play of the half. A short pass to Rhamondre Stevenson turned into a 48-yard run into the end zone, capitalizing on confusion on defense.

Cairo Santos Bounces Back

Chicago responded immediately upon returning to the field. A 72-yard drive culminated in a touchdown by Colston Loveland. Maye countered with a 30-yard pass to Eli Raridon to narrow the gap to 27–21.

In the fourth quarter, Cairo Santos hit the post on a 53-yard attempt. Ben Johnson put his trust in him again, however, and the kicker made a 58-yard field goal with 1:34 left to give the Bears a nine-point lead.

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