CHICAGO — Two very different special teamers. Two very different stories. But both of them played a sizable role in the Patriots dramatic 38-31 win over the Bears Sunday at Soldier Field.
On an afternoon where the offense had to make do without Rob Gronkowski and survive the loss of Sony Michel in the first half and the defense was inconsistent at times, it was the special teamers who helped provide a boost. First, there was a kick return for a touchdown from Cordarrelle Patterson and a blocked punt from Dont’a Hightower and a scoop-and-score from Kyle Van Noy on the way to the win.
“A couple of great scores,” said quarterback Tom Brady. “Anytime you score when you’re not on offense, it feels pretty good. I was happy for (Patterson) to get that one in. He’s been close quite a few times. And then Dont’a made a great block on that punt.
“Those are big plays for us,” he added. “We needed them.”
Patterson is a guy who made his bones as a kick returner, but in his first season with the Patriots, the 27-year-old sounded like a guy who was feeling some heat, especially when you consider he had yet to take one back. The kick return unit as a whole had struggled at times over the first six weeks, and things had the potential to go from bad to worse for Patterson when he botched a kick return in the first half that led to a Chicago touchdown.
“We didn’t want to keep getting talked about,” Patterson shrugged after the game. “So we just went out there and did what we do.”
Patterson proceeded to rip off a 95-yard kick return later in the half. It was one of the most electrifying plays of the season, and gave the Patriots a boost.
“It’s amazing, man,” Hightower said. “I remember watching CP in college, going up against him. Having a dude like that, back her returning kicks, it only amplifies our special teams.”
The quotable Patterson said afterward he wasn’t too stressed after his first fumble.
“No stress at all,” he said. “It’s football. (Expletive) happens.”
Special teams captain Matthew Slater had a brief message for Patterson after the first fumble.
"Don’t forget you’re the best kickoff returner in the league,” said Slater. “Don’t forget that.
"I don't think he forgot."
Patterson’s second chance was better than his first.
“He kicked it short,” explained Patterson. “(The) wind was blowing, so I knew he wasn’t going to kick it out. Coach told me to play it at the goal line and be aggressive. The ball was kicked, it came right to me — those 10 guys, they did a hell of a job setting all the blocks up. There was no way I couldn’t score.”
GO, GO, GO, @ceeflashpee84! #NEvsCHI | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/hoUXAdyzDU
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 21, 2018
Blocked by @zeus30hightower.
Returned by @KVN_03.
TOUCHDOWN, #PATRIOTS! #NEvsCHI | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/Y0nY4oHr5z
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 21, 2018
The last time the #Patriots returned a blocked punt for a TD? @TedyBruschi at Baltimore on Oct. 6, 1996. #NEvsCHI | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/qUaGQhg6f5
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 21, 2018