Fan notes from the Patriots’ win over the Bears

With a convincing road win against the Chicago Bears, the Patriots celebrated their third win of the 2024 season, dropping them to 7th overall in the 2025 draft order. What a disaster.

You know what? Fuck it all. I like victories and I will always cheer for them. And as far as wins go, that was great.

1. I, like many people coming into this season, have the 2024 Patriots winning maybe four or five games this year. And out of those four or five wins, I expected them all to be exactly what we saw yesterday against the Bears. Win the time of the ball possession battle. A strong rushing attack with over 120 yards on the ground. Smart, high percentage passes mixed with a few deep shots keep the defense honest. Overcoming Drake Maye’s inevitable rookie mistakes by controlling the defensive line and making life difficult for the opposing quarterback. protective bags. Some good punt and kick returns provide strong field position. And just enough positive plays to come away with a win. This game, perhaps more than any other this season, was an example of the Patriots playing to their strengths.
2. Do the Chicago Bears stink? It would look like this. Maybe they have more problems on offense than the Patriots? I will join the argument. But that shouldn’t take away from the strong and convincing victory.
3. Perhaps most encouraging was what we saw from the coaching staff. I don’t know if it’s accurate to say they opened up the playbook a little bit, but they definitely dusted off the plays that I always thought made a lot of sense when you have a rookie QB and a has a weak offensive line. We saw a series of quick screen shots of Pop Douglas in passing. Diagonal to Austin Hooper. Whatever the hell that double reverse flea flicker was that reached thirty feet. Using a two-headed attack from Mondre/Hasty early and bringing in Gibson’s fresh legs late to finish things off was an interesting wrinkle. I don’t know if they have more confidence in Maye or realized the style of play just wasn’t working or whatever, but I’m here for it.
4. Speaking of Maye, he certainly emerged victorious in the unfair and absurd comparison between him and Caleb Williams. Not only did Williams take an absurd nine sacks, but he was also less accurate, more indecisive and had less command of the offense than Maye.
5. Not that Maye was perfect; This is now the second week in a row that he attempted a pass he wasn’t supposed to attempt and paid the price. But he definitely didn’t cost his team the game in any way, producing three scoring drives of 10 or more plays.
6. He also resorts to running less and always seems to be looking to get rid of the ball for as long as possible before taking off. His only big run, a 19-yarder early in the fourth quarter, came after he scanned the left side of the field, then the right side and then back to the left again, starting only when he saw no one was open and that he had a large alley.
7. Now all we need is for him to stop tapping into his inner Josh Allen and take charge with his face. Children these days don’t seem to be able to slide anymore – perhaps because they don’t want to use slides in school playgrounds.
8. That’s probably not the worst thing in the world. I’m no safety expert, but I remember as a six-year-old at recess climbing five feet up a rusty metal ladder to slide down a set of sharp-edged aluminum flaps connected by exposed 2-inch bolts that had been exposed to direct sunlight since about 8 a.m . As I fell onto an asphalt pavement without any padding, the real fun was learning whether I would get a second-degree burn on my legs or whether my pants would catch on the edge of the slide and give me a wedge have to pause for the rest of the break.
9. The point still stands, Drake. Get down if you see people coming after you.
10. The fact that the Patriots gave up just one sack could be the first holiday miracle of the season. They still allow pressure on almost half of New England’s dropbacks, which is crazy, but as we saw better playmaking and more effective running, as well as more mobility at the QB, the issues were alleviated. It’s almost as if you can work around your team’s weaknesses. Who knew?
11. Kayshon Boutte also seems to be establishing himself as the receiver Drake Maye will go to when he needs to put a ball there and hope his man makes a play. And he delivers pretty regularly. He never seems to have a great day – four catches for 47 yards is nothing crazy – but those catches always seem to come at just the right time.
12. Something that should probably get even more praise is the way Boutte always gets right back up after a big play late in the half to get the ball to the referee and give the offense as much time as possible to get it attack and stop the clock. We can all count on both hands the number of times it took a young receiver a five-second victory lap to make a big catch while the rest of the team is in a full sprint to prepare and give his team a losing opportunity.
13. Speaking of receivers, it’s hard not to be impressed by how much Ja’Lynn Polk’s stats improved this week. His one reception on one attempt for two yards and a touchdown represents one of his most productive days as a pro.
14. I know we’re talking about the Bears and a struggling QB and line, but this was by far the defense’s best performance this year. The pressure came from the edge to the middle as the front four won their duels. But even when that wasn’t the case, well-planned coverage packages forced Williams to hold onto the ball longer than he should have, allowing the pressure to get home. And whoever decided to use a special teamer as a QB spy deserves one of the legs at Thanksgiving dinner this year because that was a stroke of genius. Brenden Schooler’s one tackle on an attempt for a TFL and a sack is almost as impressive as Polk’s big breakout week.
15. The only decision I would question was using Marcus Jones over Keenan Allen for much of this contest. Jones is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds when he decides to devour all the Halloween candy for himself. At 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Allen has been in the league long enough to find gaps in the zone and use his size and strength effectively. And yet he had less than 45 yards receiving that day. It’s so hard to complain too much.
16. This week’s award for the player no one talks about, but is it a season to have yourself? Marte Mapu. As part of a safety squad with Hawkins and Pettus, he saw limited snaps, and his one tackle won’t show up in the stat sheet this week – but go back and look at the games he was a part of. Look at how many times Williams has to leave the middle of the field and move on to his second and third reads because Mapu has correctly diagnosed a crosser or slant. As we continue to figure out which players are in New England’s long-term plans and which are not, perhaps someone can recommend Mapu, a good real estate agent in Attleboro.
17. Someone who might want to consider selling Mapu his house is Kendrick Bourne.
18. The defense was truly the shining star of yesterday’s game. Just dominant on every level and it’s difficult to either stand out or challenge a guy. A total team effort.
19. On a side note, fuck the commissioner of my fantasy league for neglecting to inform everyone that sacks don’t get you points for D/ST. I started this week with the Patriots defense only giving me 11 points, and this week I’m going to lose by four points.
20. Yesterday I sat down to watch the game and felt a deep sense of relief knowing that I was tired of being attacked with three to five political commercials every single commercial break. What I didn’t realize, however, is that the powers that be have just replaced all those political ads with holiday ads and I can already feel myself turning into Scrooge.
21. Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely love the holiday season. I’m a huge Christmas fan and go all out this time of year. I just feel like one of the things that makes the season so special, much like the NFL, is how short it is. It starts with Thanksgiving and anything is possible from Black Friday to Christmas Day. Go crazy. Put up all the decorations, watch all the Christmas specials and movies, and get into the spirit as best you can. But if you’re taking down your Halloween decorations and putting up your holiday decorations on the same weekend, you and I should sit down and chat a little.
22. Finally and most importantly, I wish everyone who has served, is serving or will serve a very happy Veterans Day. Because of the decisions you all have made and will make, I am able to write these articles every week during the season. We’re living in a wild, wild time right now, and it’s very easy to get upset about what’s happening in the world. But I would like to hope that valuing the men and women who serve in the armed forces is as bipartisan an issue as it can be. So to all you seasoned readers, a huge thank you and enjoy a well-deserved free grand slam breakfast at Denny’s.

I have no idea what to expect from this team in the next few weeks. I can imagine them going 3-0 and 0-3 and every other combination in between. But I know one thing. This team is fun. I like her. That’s more than I can say about a lot of things in the NFL these days.