(670 The Score) Autumn in New England can offer beauty that leaves visitors breathless.
Even after dark.
The Bears fell into that category after an exhilarating effort that nobody but them expected – and maybe not even them.
In front of a national Monday Night Football audience, the Bears arrived more ready for primetime than the Patriots. Let that sink in for a moment.
The occasion was historic, but not for the reason everyone expected. This was the first time the Bears had won in Foxborough, Mass.
Ever.
The score was Bears 33, Patriots 14, but under the circumstances, it probably felt a little like 46-10 to Bears fans of a certain age.
“We’re a young football team, and we have a lot of improvement to do," Bears coach Matt Eberflus told reporters postgame. "It’s an ongoing process. I told the guys this is one victory."
After the Bears’ fourth loss, which came against the Commanders on Oct. 13, Eberflus vowed to reassess everything during the 10 days between games, and that reinvigorated players. Beating the Patriots on the road only counts as the third victory of Eberflus’ first season, but it sure seems weightier than that, perhaps because of the credibility that accompanies any win in that environment.
“It was one performance, but it is important," Eberflus said. “The whole country was watching, and I think that’s important for the confidence of the guys. It’s not about that. It’s about trusting the guy next to you. I think that’s what is important about what we did tonight."
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What Eberflus did carried more significance than anything else he’s done in his coaching career.
The Flus outcoached The GOAT, and Bill Belichick will have to wait at least one more game to pass George Halas for career victories at 324. The team with Halas’ “GSH” on its jersey sleeves paid the best tribute possible to Papa Bear. In an old-fashioned butt-kicking, the Bears dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, played solid special teams and followed a young quarterback in Justin Fields whose special ability made everything possible.
Everything about the Bears, by design, starts with Fields. Every game plan for every remaining opponent on the schedule. Every conversation about the present or future. Every news story or sports talk show. Every little thing at Halas Hall revolves around the big plans inspired by Fields, a gifted 23-year-old in his second season who never has played better as a pro than he did against the Patriots.
If Fields is feeling the pressure, he isn't showing it.
Numbers only tell part of the story: Fields completed 13 of 21 passes for 179 yards, one touchdown and one interception with an 85.2 passer rating. He added 82 more rushing yards on 14 carries. But this will go down as one of those moments more style than substance, the kind of performance that combined poise with polish with a touch of pizzazz.
Fields easily was the best quarterback of the 2021 NFL Draft class on the field.
Belichick replaced starter Mac Jones – taken four picks after Fields in 2021 – and Zappe Hour ensued, with the Gillette Stadium crowd drunk with the possibility of the backup quarterback who had won his two previous starts. Jones looked like a guy who hadn’t played in a month, and Bailey Zappe started hot, right where he left off. Quickly, a 10-0 deficit became a 14-10 lead for the Patriots. Zappe found Jakobi Myers all alone for 30 yards to set up the first touchdown. On the next drive, Zappe put the ball the only place he could have placed it so receiver DeVante Parker could go up and get it for a 43-yard completion. Rhamondre Stevenson ran it in from the 4-yard line on the next play. The Patriots responded to their backup, and it appeared all was well with New England.
It wasn't.
After the loss, the Patriots find themselves mired in a mini-controversy over who’s the starter, and the Bears oddly left the building with a more stable situation at the quarterback position. Imagine that.
Credit Fields for blending instinct with intelligence to make the Patriots pay.
On third-and-14 in the final minute of the second quarter, for example, Fields improvised for 20 yards, breaking a tackle in the pocket and making another defender miss near the line of scrimmage. Plays like that illustrate why Fields so often holds onto the ball so long, believing he can create something special if he just waits for the right moment. There is a fine line the Bears keep hoping Fields finds and it’s fascinating to see him figure it out.
“I knew I was going to have to run the ball a little more," Fields admitted.
Perhaps Fields’ most obvious growth moment came on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Khalil Herbert – a play that started as a side screen. Having had a batted pass at the line of scrimmage turned into an interception for the second straight game, Fields adjusted his arm angle to avoid Matthew Judon’s hand. He double-clutched, dropped down to a sidearm delivery and put the ball where Herbert could catch it and run. That’s the kind of short completion Fields too often missed in the first six games of the season. It also exemplified the toughness Fields has become known for, because he wound up smashed between two pass rushers as Herbert crossed the end zone.
Fields wasn’t flawless. He threw an interception that was tipped at the line by Judon – a play reminiscent of Fields throwing a pick off the helmet of a Commanders defensive lineman in Week 6. He fumbled for no apparent reason in the last series of the first half but recovered. He took an avoidable sack on third down. He missed open receivers that every NFL quarterback does on any given week. But the good easily outweighed the bad and, to the relief of many around town, Fields provided more positives than negatives. He was the biggest reason the Bears converted 11 of 18 third downs and controlled the ball for 37 minutes, 18 seconds. He's the main concern of the Cowboys and every team left on the schedule.
The reconfigured Bears offensive line rose to the occasion against a respected Patriots defense. Lucas Patrick moved from left guard to center, making way for veteran Michael Schofield. But Patrick left the game in the first half with a toe injury, forcing the Bears to bring back demoted starter Sam Mustipher at center. None of the maneuvering prevented the Bears from making room for running backs David Montgomery and Herbert, who gained 62 yards apiece. Of Fields’ 14 carries, 12 were designed runs. Overall, the Bears pummeled the Patriots for 243 rushing yards. Protecting Fields still challenged the offensive line, which couldn’t block Judon and gave up four sacks. But offensive coordinator Luke Getsy called smart plays that moved the pocket more than the Bears had in the past to take advantage of Fields’ athleticism.
The Bears defense supplied some memorable moments. The Patriots failed to move the ball on the ground the way Bears opponents typically have. Safety Jaquan Brisker continued his strong rookie season with a nifty one-handed interception. Fellow rookie second-round pick Kyler Gordon matched Brisker with a fourth-quarter pick. Defensive tackle Justin Jones, who insulted Belichick last week by bringing up Deflategate in an interview with CHGO, recovered a fumble and batted down a pass. Linebacker Roquan Smith, who bragged to NFL Network host Rich Eisen that he was ready to show America why he deserved a big contract, backed it up by making a sack and flying around with familiar abandon. Suddenly, the Bears have given up only 26 points in the last two games.
Even the special teams played a role after letting the Bears down in two of the previous three losses. Dante Pettis, who replaced Velus Jones Jr. after Jones’ muffed punt contributed to the loss to the Commanders, made the move look smart with a 27-yard punt return. Kicker Cairo Santos made all four of his field-goal attempts, including one from 50, and still hasn’t missed this season.
In all three phases of the game, the Bears resembled a different football team than the one we saw the first six games.
“What wins football games are the fundamentals," Eberflus said.
When was the last time Bears fans enjoyed watching their team play on national television?
For a change, there was no need to mute the broadcast and no excuse to go to bed early. This was worth staying up late to watch, a valid reason to hit snooze on after a night of reawakening for the Bears. Realistically, the buzz created by this victory parallels the Bears’ 15-6 upset of the Rams on Dec. 9, 2018 in Matt Nagy’s first season.
Which seems like eons ago.
“This is the type of game that can really change the trajectory of an organization," ESPN analyst and Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman declared.
For a change, that means up.
David Haugh is the co-host of the Mully & Haugh Show from 5-10 a.m. weekdays on 670 The Score. Click here to listen. Follow him on Twitter @DavidHaugh.
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