The Chicago Bears are at a critical point after losing two games in a row, as they head into their matchup with the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Tight end Cole Kmet knows how important this game is. “You feel that at certain points,” he said. “We have to win this game to get back on track and get above .500 again.”
Chicago (4-4) can’t afford to lose to the Patriots (2-7), a game that features quarterbacks picked in two of the top three spots in this year’s draft, with the Bears’ Caleb Williams facing Drake Maye. New England is tied with six other teams for the worst record in the NFL.
The Bears had a rough game in Arizona, losing 29-9. They only managed to score three field goals after another disappointing loss to Washington the week before, which ended in an 18-15 defeat following a Hail Mary touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels to Noah Brown.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson made a costly mistake by getting distracted on social media, turning his back while the Commanders snapped the ball.
The coaches also made some questionable calls toward the end, leading to player frustrations and concerns about the coaching staff losing control of the locker room.
“If the Bears don’t beat New England, well, buckle up,” said one observer. The schedule is about to get a lot tougher.
Six of Chicago’s last eight games will be against teams in the NFC North, starting with a home game against Green Bay on Nov. 17. The Bears also play at San Francisco and host Seattle.
These teams are a combined 27-15, with Detroit leading the way at 7-1. Only Seattle (4-5) has a losing record. Meanwhile, Chicago’s wins have come against teams with a combined 10-24 record — Tennessee (2-6), Los Angeles Rams (4-4), Carolina (2-7), and Jacksonville (2-7).
As for the Patriots, they also suffered a tough loss last week, falling 20-17 in overtime to Tennessee.
Maye had a remarkable play at the end of regulation, scrambling for 12 seconds before throwing a touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson to force overtime. But he threw an interception during the overtime period, sealing New England’s seventh loss in eight games.
“I always feel that we’re always close, but close isn’t good enough,” said cornerback Christian Gonzalez. “It’s Week 10. We’ve got to make it click now. Offensively, defensively and special teams, we’ve got to play a full game and complement each other.”
