On Monday night, two struggling NFL teams – the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots – met in Foxboro, badly needing a win.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who has been criticized by some for, in their eyes, not being a franchise-caliber signal-caller, played a solid game, while Chicago’s defense bore down on the Patriots.
One ESPN NFL reporter who covers the Patriots had some harsh words for his team.
One thing about football: You usually get what you deserve.
Patriots get blasted by the Bears, the only team that came to play with a purpose tonight.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 25, 2022
One Bears writer praised Chicago’s defense for turning what was a competitive game in the first half into a wipeout.
The #Bears didn't allow a single point against the Patriots in the second half.
They've now allowed an average of just 5.28 points in the second half through 7 weeks. Kudos to DC Alan Williams and that young group.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) October 25, 2022
This podcast host used the win as an opportunity to assert the superiority of Chicago sports fans over Boston/New England sports fans.
Two observations tonight:
This has to be the most dominant Bears win over the Patriots in series history
Bulls also beating the Celtics cements Chicago as a superior sports city to Boston, simple as that
— Alex Roux (@a_roux) October 25, 2022
This Bears fan took a historical perspective on this blowout win.
This is clearly the most dominant victory the Bears have ever had over the Patriots in history
— Cairo Santos Appreciation Club (@CairoDinero) October 25, 2022
A Big Win For Chicago
Fields went 13 of 21 and threw one touchdown pass while running for 82 yards and another touchdown.
But it was the Bears’ defense that decided this contest.
Linebacker Roquan Smith shined bright with 12 tackles (eight solo), one tackle for loss, one pass defended, one sack and one interception.
In addition, rookie safety Jaquan Brisker had an interception in the second quarter.
At that point, New England head coach Bill Belichick took Mac Jones out of the contest and replaced him with Bailey Zappe, who was coming off two very strong starts versus the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns.
Although he completed 14 of 22 passes, he threw two interceptions, preventing the Patriots from rallying in the second half.
They’re now at 3-4 on the season, putting them in last place in the AFC East.
Meanwhile, the Bears, who are also 3-4, are tied with the struggling Green Bay Packers for second place in the NFC North.
NEXT: 3 Keys To A Bears Victory Over The Patriots