Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (91) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Patriots sack Caleb Williams 9 times, stifle Bears

Deatrich Wise Jr. and Anfernee Jennings each had a pair of sacks as the New England Patriots buckled down defensively to beat the host Chicago Bears 19-3 on Sunday afternoon.

New England (3-7) had nine sacks in all and held the Bears to 142 yards of total offense. Chicago was forced to punt on eight of its first nine drives of the game, then turned the ball over on downs when it had possession for a 10th time.

The hosts had one last chance to make something happen, but they also failed to move the chains on fourth down on their final drive.

Drake Maye didn’t have to do much under center for the Patriots, completing 15 of 25 passes for 184 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Austin Hooper hauled in three catches for 64 yards.

Rhamondre Stevenson headlined the rushing attack for the visitors, going for 74 yards on 20 touches.

Caleb Williams was under constant duress and finished with 120 yards on 16-of-30 passing for the Bears (4-5), who have dropped three straight games. D’Andre Swift rushed for 59 yards on 16 carries.

Maye put New England in front for good when he found Ja’Lynn Polk for a 2-yard TD with 1:46 left in the second quarter to make it 10-3.

Joey Slye booted a 37-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to send the Patriots into the break up by 10.

Slye added fourth-quarter field goals from 25 and 33 yards out to put the finishing touches on the victory.

New England opened the scoring with 6:19 to go in the first quarter, getting a 30-yard field goal from Slye.

Chicago finally responded at the 7:17 mark of the second quarter, as Cairo Santos made good on a 33-yard field goal to provide the Bears with their only points of the afternoon.

The Patriots stopped Chicago on 13 of 14 third-down tries for the game.

–Field Level Media

Nov 3, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Rookie quarterbacks clash as Patriots take on Bears

A meeting with the host Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon will carry more meaning than the typical regular-season game for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye, selected third overall in this year’s draft, is set to go up against No. 1 overall pick and fellow signal-caller Caleb Williams in a battle of friends turned foes. The two became familiar with each other before breaking into the NFL, but Maye will try to treat Sunday like business as usual.

“I think both as rookies, coming out as quarterbacks, you spend a lot of time with those guys. You see them, some on visits, some at the combine. Really, with Caleb, I’ve seen him since high school,” Maye said. “We kept up with each other in college. We were friends, and I enjoyed watching him do his thing.

“Now I get a chance to compete. So anytime you’re going against a rookie quarterback in the same class, or any quarterback in your class in general, it’s a little extra.”

Both quarterbacks have already had to face their fair share of adversity, with Maye owning a 1-3 record as a starter while Williams is 4-4.

Most of the trouble that Williams and the Bears (4-4) have run into came over the past two games. Chicago was blown out 29-9 by the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday after falling 18-15 to the Washington Commanders on Oct. 27.

A third straight loss wouldn’t sit right with Bears coach Matt Eberflus.

“Whenever you lose two in a row in the NFL, there’s always a heightened sense of urgency because you have to get that win column back,” Eberflus said. “That was no different than early in the year when we lost a couple in a row. It’s really the same. We have to find answers and find solutions to where we are right now.

“We move in the right direction for three weeks, and then the last couple, we have to make sure we find answers right now moving into this week.”

New England (2-7) nearly pulled off a miracle last Sunday, forcing overtime against the Tennessee Titans when Maye escaped multiple defenders to lob a game-tying 5-yard touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson on the final play of regulation. The extra point made it 17-17.

However, Nick Folk booted a 25-yard field goal to put Tennessee in front in the extra session, then Maye threw a game-ending pick three plays later.

It was the third turnover of the contest for Maye, who knows that he has to be sharper against Chicago.

“I think the Bears’ defense, they’re always going to be a physical defense,” Maye said. “They’re good up front. They have some good edge guys. I feel like every D-line has got some good guys on the edge. They’re going to go after the football; we’re preaching ball security.”

The Patriots could be without safety Kyle Dugger (ankle) and linebacker Christian Elliss (abdomen) on Sunday. Both players missed practice on Wednesday, while defensive end Keion White (knee) was among those limited.

Six injured Bears missed practice on Wednesday, including safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion), defensive tackle Andrew Billings (pectoral) and defensive back Jaylon Jones (shoulder). Defensive end Montez Sweat (shin) practiced in a limited capacity, as did four others.

–Field Level Media

Nov 3, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA;  Tennessee Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph (11) throws the ball against the New England Patriots during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Titans end slide, get past Patriots in OT

Nick Folk converted a 25-yard field goal with 2:32 left in overtime Sunday and the Tennessee Titans snapped a three-game losing streak with a 20-17 win over the New England Patriots in Nashville, Tenn.

Folk’s second field goal of the game capped a drive that ate the first 7:28 of overtime. New England’s ensuing possession ended when Amani Hooker intercepted a deep pass over the middle from rookie quarterback Drake Maye with 2:17 remaining.

The Patriots (2-7) forced overtime when Maye threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson on the final play of regulation. Maye eluded multiple defenders and flipped the ball to the end zone while being hauled down to the turf by two Titans.

Maye was 29 of 41 for 206 yards with the touchdown and two interceptions, both by Hooker. He also ran for 95 yards on eight carries.

Mason Rudolph completed 20 of 33 passes for 240 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for Tennessee (2-6). Rudolph snapped a 10-10 tie with a 6-yard strike to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine at the 4:27 mark of the fourth quarter.

Tony Pollard rushed for 128 yards on 28 carries for the Titans, bagging 36 yards on seven attempts during their scoring drive in overtime. Tennessee earned a 400-295 advantage in total offense and possessed the ball for nearly 39 minutes.

Tennessee initiated scoring with its first first-drive touchdown since Sept. 22, going 75 yards in eight plays. Rudolph finished it by finding Nick Vannett for a 9-yard strike, the 100th catch of Vannett’s career.

The Titans reached the 3 early in the second quarter but wasted that chance when Rudolph tossed an interception to Jahlani Tavai in the end zone. New England cashed that in with a drive of just 5:32 that Joey Slye capped with a 52-yard field goal at the 7:13 mark.

Tennessee missed on a second chance to add points just before the half when it took holding and delay of game penalties after reaching the Patriots’ 35. It settled for a 7-3 lead at the break.

Stevenson gave New England the lead with a 1-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the second half. Folk’s 21-yard field goal tied the game at 10 before the third-quarter intermission.

–Field Level Media

Oct 27, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws the ball during warmups before a game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Patriots QB Drake Maye clears protocol, in line to face Titans

New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye cleared concussion protocol and is in line to start Sunday’s game against the host Tennessee Titans.

Maye was a limited participant in practice for the third straight day on Friday. He does not carry an injury designation into the game with the Titans (1-6).

Maye, 22, was placed in the protocol last Sunday after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit in New England’s 25-22 win over the New York Jets. The Patriots (2-6) snapped a six-game losing skid with the victory.

He has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 564 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in four games (three starts) this season. He was selected by New England with the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft out of North Carolina.

–Field Level Media

Oct 27, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) is tackled by New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood (44) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Patriots QB Drake Maye (concussion protocol) could play vs. Titans

Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye conceivably could play in Sunday’s game against the host Tennessee Titans.

Maye, who remains in concussion protocol, was expected to be a limited participant in practice for the third straight day on Friday.

“He is still in the protocol … and going through that process,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said on Friday morning.

When asked if the quarterback could be ready to play when the Patriots (2-6) face the Titans (1-6), Mayo responded with a definitive “yes.” That said, Mayo said the team has confidence in veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett if Maye isn’t cleared.

“Look, any given day, any player can just wake up with something and not be able to play,” Mayo said. “I will say this, if (Maye) can’t play, we have enough faith and confidence in Jacoby to be able to step in and help us win.”

Maye, 22, was placed in the protocol last Sunday after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit in the Patriots’ 25-22 win over the New York Jets.

He has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for five touchdowns and two interceptions in four games this season. He was selected by the Patriots with the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft out of North Carolina.

–Field Level Media

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) exits the field after losing to the Indianapolis Colts 20-17 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.

Titans stress patience in losing campaign, while Patriots upbeat after tight win

The Tennessee Titans are 1-6 and already making plans for 2025. The No. 1 pick in next spring’s draft is more likely than any kind of run to the fringes of playoff contention.

But unlike a couple of teams that have benched their young starters at quarterback to play veterans, Tennessee is committed to playing Will Levis as soon as he returns from a right shoulder injury. That could happen as early as Sunday, when the New England Patriots visit Nashville in a battle of teams that are a combined 3-12.

Levis has shown little of the big arm that made him a pleasant surprise last year when he took over in late October. He has averaged two turnovers in five games, tossing seven interceptions and losing three fumbles.

Brian Callahan is a first-year coach with a hall pass for now. He and the franchise can afford on some level to play Levis and let him — and the team — take lumps now in hopes they can learn from mistakes later.

“There’s not a lot of patience in pro sports in general,” Callahan said. “Sometimes, it does take a little bit of time to learn all these things. You’re balancing winning with developing and that’s a very, very hard thing to do in pro football and probably every professional sport because fans want success.

“It’s a really tricky thing, but it also stems mostly from (quarterback) is just such a difficult position to play and there’s so much demand on the position that you have to play a good amount of football to learn those lessons.”

Levis is actually completing 66.4 percent of his passes, up eight percent from last year, but he is averaging less than nine yards per completion. Backup Mason Rudolph is hitting nearly 59 percent of his attempts but averaging just over 10 yards per completion.

New England (2-6) has quarterback questions of its own, even after snapping a six-game losing streak last week with a 25-22 win over the New York Jets. Rookie Drake Maye suffered a concussion late in the first quarter and practiced in a limited role on Wednesday.

Veteran Jacoby Brissett, who led a late fourth-quarter touchdown drive to secure the victory, will start if Maye is unable to make it all the way through the league’s protocol.

“I feel very comfortable putting Jacoby in there as he is a professional and always stays ready, as you could see from the last game,” first-year Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said of Brissett. “However that plays out, we’ll see.”

One thing that became clear last week is that Mayo found the right button to push after a blowout loss to Jacksonville in London on Oct. 20, when he called his team soft. The Patriots displayed a renewed purpose against the Jets, an opponent that beat them 24-3 in September in New York.

“I would say those guys answered the challenge,” Mayo said. “I don’t think we have soft guys in the locker room.”

The Patriots listed 13 players as limited at practice on Wednesday, including Maye and safety Kyle Dugger (ankle). Three players didn’t practice: linebacker Christian Eliss (abdomen), offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (ankle/shoulder) and defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy (neck).

Levis was a limited participant while nine of his teammates missed practice on Wednesday, including wide receivers Tyler Boyd (shoulder) and Calvin Ridley (shoulder), running back Tony Pollard (foot), cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (quad) and nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat (hip).

The Patriots own a 26-18-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Titans, including four postseason games. New England won the teams’ last matchup 36-13 in 2021 in Foxboro, Mass.

–Field Level Media

Aug 2, 2023; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Josh Uche (55) heads to the practice fields at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Reports: Chiefs acquire OLB Josh Uche from Patriots

The Kansas City Chiefs acquired pass-rusher Josh Uche from the New England Patriots on Monday, multiple outlets reported.

The Chiefs are sending a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Patriots, NFL Network reported.

Uche was an 11th-hour “healthy scratch” ahead of New England’s win over the New York Jets on Sunday.

Uche, 26, has 13 tackles, two sacks and three quarterback hits in seven games (one start) for the Patriots this season. He has 20.5 career sacks in 58 games (four starts), including a career-best 11.5 in 2022.

The Patriots selected Uche in the second round of the 2020 draft.

–Field Level Media

Oct 27, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass against the New York Jets in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Patriots overcome Jets, concussion to QB Drake Maye

Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for a go-ahead 1-yard touchdown with 22 seconds remaining to lift the New England Patriots to a 25-22 win over the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Mass.

Stevenson then hauled in a two-point conversion pass from backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett as New England (2-6) ended a six-game skid.

New York (2-6) had gone up 22-17 when Braelon Allen ran for a 2-yard score with 2:57 left. However, the Jets came up empty on a two-point conversion attempt, and it ended up costing them.

Brissett was under center because rookie quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, sustained a concussion late in the first quarter. Brissett ended up completing 15 of 24 passes for 132 yards.

Maye was 3-of-6 passing for 23 yards prior to exiting. He also had 46 yards and a TD on three carries.

Stevenson finished with 48 yards and two scores on 20 touches.

Aaron Rodgers had 233 yards and two TDs on 17-of-28 passing for the Jets, who dropped their fifth game in a row. Breece Hall rushed 16 times for 80 yards, and Garrett Wilson hauled in five catches for 113 yards.

After the New England defense forced a three-and-out to begin the second half, Marcus Jones put the Patriots at New York 26 with a 62-yard punt return. Five plays later, Stevenson ran into the end zone from 3 yards out for a 14-13 edge.

Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein booted a 29-yard field goal with 7:54 to go in the third quarter before missing a 44-yarder early in the fourth.

Joey Slye made it 17-16 New England with a 23-yard field goal with 7:34 left in the game.

Maye used his legs to open the scoring, scrambling for a 17-yard touchdown with 5:18 left in the first quarter to put New England up 7-0.

Tyler Conklin was on the receiving end of a 2-yard score just under four minutes later, but Zuerlein pulled the ensuing extra-point attempt wide left to keep New York trailing.

However, it wouldn’t be long until the Jets moved in front, taking a 13-7 lead when Rodgers found Xavier Gipson for a 1-yard touchdown with 9:06 remaining in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Oct 27, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass against the New York Jets in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images

Patriots QB Drake Maye (head) ruled out at halftime vs. Jets

Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye will not return to New England’s meeting with the visiting New York Jets on Sunday due to a head injury.

Maye was originally listed as questionable after sustaining the injury on an 18-yard scramble in the final minute of the first quarter. Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood made helmet-to-helmet contact with Maye on a hit from behind as the quarterback slid.

Maye finished the drive, but Jacoby Brissett took over under center for New England on its next possession.

Right as halftime started, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo told CBS that Maye would not be coming back.

Prior to exiting, Maye completed 3 of 6 passes for 23 yards. He also rushed for 46 yards and a touchdown on three carries.

The 22-year-old Maye, selected third overall by the Patriots in this year’s draft, was making his third career start on Sunday.

–Field Level Media

Sep 15, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (23) tackles Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Patriots S Kyle Dugger (ankle) questionable vs. Jets

New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger was added to the team’s injury report as questionable for Sunday’s home game against the New York Jets in Foxborough, Mass.

The Patriots (1-6) already are without their other starting safety Jabrill Peppers, who is on the commissioner’s exempt list due to legal issues. Marte Mapu and Jaylinn Hawkins could serve as the starting safeties should Dugger sit out on Sunday versus the Jets (2-5).

Dugger, 28, has 35 tackles, one sack and a forced fumble in six games (all starts) this season.

He has 378 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, nine interceptions (two returned for TDs), 22 passes defended, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 67 games (58 starts). He was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media