CHICAGO URBAN DAILY
CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— On the night they honored Mike Ditka, the Bears played like the monsters of the midway.
Chicago knocked off the New England Patriots 30-24 on Thursday Night Football at Soldier Field — the franchise’s first home game since the death of its coaching legend — and it was a heavyweight fight from kickoff to the final whistle.
Caleb Williams was sharp all night: 22-of-33 for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie receiver Luther Burden III torched the Patriots for 130 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left in the half. D’Andre Swift punched in a 4-yard touchdown, and kicker Cairo Santos drilled a career-long 58-yarder — matching the franchise record — to put the game away in the fourth.
The Patriots refused to die. Drake Maye threw for 321 yards and two touchdowns, including a wild 48-yard strike to Rhamondre Stevenson on the final play of the first half that cut Chicago’s lead to 20-14. A 30-yard score to Eli Raridon in the third made it 27-21. But New England couldn’t finish the comeback, and its three-game winning streak is over.
“These nights are awesome,” Williams said afterward. “You play against another good team on a primetime game in a short week… That’s who we are. We’re a smashmouth football team, an innovative team. And when things happen and things don’t go our way and the water is rocky, we stay steady.”
Across the field, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel had a shorter summary: “Tackling wasn’t good enough, not against this team.”
At 5-2, the Bears are rolling — second straight win, prime-time style, and one for the coach who defined them.
Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for the fallout.
Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.
