By JAY COHEN AP Sports Writer
CHICAGO (AP) — Round 2 went to Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.
Williams passed for 308 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bears cooled off Drake Maye and the New England Patriots with a 30-24 victory Thursday night.
It was the second meeting between the young quarterbacks since they were part of the 2024 NFL draft. Maye, who was selected by New England at No. 3, directed the Patriots to a 19-3 victory over Williams and the Bears when the longtime friends were rookies.
But Williams, the No. 1 overall pick, leaned on Luther Burden and Colston Loveland while outlasting Maye and the Patriots in the rematch. Williams connected on 22 of 33 passes in his second game back after being sidelined by a right hamstring injury.
“These nights are awesome,” Williams said. “You play against another good team on a primetime game in a short week, these games are awesome because you get to see who you are as a team. That’s who we are. We’re a smashmouth football team, an innovative team. And when things happen and things don’t go our way and the water is rocky, we stay steady.”
Maye was 24 for 31 for 321 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 7-yard run for New England’s first TD with 11:33 left in the first half.
But Maye also was intercepted by Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson in the end zone on a pass intended for rookie tight end Eli Raridon late in the second quarter.
“It’s those plays, I talk about it all the time,” Maye said. “You know those plays that can swing the game, can impact the game and that was definitely one of them right there. Yeah, I wish I definitely had that one back.”
New England (4-3) had won three consecutive games behind Maye, who threw 10 TD passes and one interception during the win streak.
“He gave us a chance,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said. “He competed and I know he’d like to have that throw back to Eli, but I thought he really competed. Whether that was running around and scrambling or finding good places to go with the football. He gave us a chance. … I’m glad he’s ours.”
Burden had four catches for 130 yards for Chicago (5-2), and Loveland had a 12-yard touchdown reception. Cairo Santos kicked a 58-yard field goal with 1:34 left, a career long and matching the franchise record, after he missed a 53-yard attempt earlier in the final quarter.
Williams became the first Bears quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in consecutive games since Mitch Trubisky had a three-game run in 2018.
“I think he did a pretty good job throughout the night,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said. “I know he had a number of explosive plays. He found some of those guys at the second level that were huge for us.”
After Santos’ long field goal, Maye drove New England into range for Andy Borregales’ 47-yarder with 37 seconds to go. But Chicago recovered the ensuing onside kick.
Rhamondre Stevenson had five catches for 93 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots. Raridon had a 30-yard TD catch in the third quarter.
“We did some good things,” Vrabel said. “But again, didn’t do enough.”
It was Chicago’s first home game since Mike Ditka died on Oct. 9. The Bears saluted the Hall of Fame tight end and longtime coach with a pregame moment of silence, and they also handed out fake mustaches to the crowd of 60,520 at Soldier Field.
Ditka’s No. 89 jersey dotted the stands, and fans also donned Bears sweaters in a callback to what he wore on the sideline as a coach.
Chicago opened a 20-7 lead on Burden’s 24-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left in the first half. Burden got the ball on a screen on third-and-17, and Loveland, Kalif Raymond and Darnell Wright helped clear the way for his second TD reception of the season.
“The whole calvary came … and it was like a wave carrying him through there,” Johnson said. “He saw a little crease and hit the jets.”
Set to receive the second-half kickoff, the Bears were in position to pull away. But the Patriots responded with Stevenson’s 48-yard touchdown reception on the final play of the period.
Stevenson slipped out of the backfield and Maye lobbed the ball over the head of Bears safety Cam Lewis. Stevenson ran away from Lewis and got a downfield block from DeMario Douglas before cutting past Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson on his way to the end zone.
Patriots: CB Christian Gonzalez played after being listed as questionable because of an illness. … S Kevin Byard departed after he was checked out by trainers with 9:44 left in first half. He later returned. … DT Christian Barmore departed late in the game.
Bears: CB Malik Muhammad left in the third quarter with a toe injury. … TE Cole Kmet hurt his right knee on a reception with 5:34 left. “We’ll know more tomorrow, but I don’t think it looked very good,” Johnson said.
Patriots: At Miami on Nov. 1.
Bears: At Seattle for a Monday night game Nov. 2.
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