Drake Maye's Interception Wasn't The Reason The Patriots Lost

The Patriots’ 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football didn’t come down to Drake Maye’s interception, the report argues. Maye threw for 300 yards for the second time in three weeks, scored more than three total touchdowns for the fourth straight game, and used his legs to extend plays behind a banged-up offensive line. He did throw a costly first-half pick aimed at a touchdown pass to Eli Raridon, which Chicago’s D’Marco Jackson returned for a turnover, and Maye acknowledged it swung momentum. Still, the bigger issue was defense and execution: New England missed 16 tackles, the most since Super Bowl LX, and Pro Football Focus cited consistent tackling failures. Chicago’s D’Andre Swift controlled the ground game with 22 carries for 78 yards and a rushing touchdown, while Caleb Williams connected on eight passes of 20+ yards. The Patriots also faced penalties and lacked production in rushing and receiving.