BSJ Game Report: Bears 33, Patriots 14 - Belichick steps in QB controversy in stunning blowout loss

FOXBOROUGH — Everything you need to know from the Patriots’ loss to the Bears in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Embarrassing night all around: The Patriots were beaten soundly in all three phases of the game by ... the previously 2-4 Bears, who entered on a three-game losing streak, including a 12-7 loss to the Commanders their last time out. This was one of those designated wins on the schedule, and the Patriots were outscored 23-0 in the final 32 minutes of the game. Basically the whole fourth quarter was blowout city. We're used to that from the Patriots ... not a visitor not named the Buffalo Bills. 

"We were badly out-coached, out-played," Bill Belichick said after the game. "Just didn't do anything well enough in the game to have a chance to win or deserve to win. The Bears did a good job. Totally controlled the game in all three phases. We have obviously a lot of work to do here and need to perform a lot better than that. Need to compete better than that and perform better than that. It's not any one thing. Just collectively it's all of us, and we just have to all perform better. Simple as that. That's where we're at. It's not about any one player or one coach, one thing. Just collectively we've got to perform better, so that's what we'll work toward doing this week."

Mac Jones starts, gets pulled, Zappe gives boost but then turns into pumpkin: Much more on this later, but Mac Jones led three drives, was 3 of 6 for 13 yards and a terrible interception — he ran for 24 — as rust was obviously apparent. Belichick pulled Jones after the INT — he said it was a planned rotation, wasn't about the INT — and Bailey Zappe Fever was in full effect as he led two TD drives to give New England a 14-10 lead. After halftime, Zappe was 9 of 16 for 76 yards and two interceptions — one on one of his four batted passes, the other was just bad and late in the flat — and he also had a disastrous fumbled exchange with Jakobi Meyers. Belichick was asked who his starting QB was. "We just finished the game," was his response.

Defense is shredded by Justin Fields, Bears: Chicago entered the game 28th in yards and 31st at 15.1 points per game — you wouldn't have known that watching this game. The Bears scored on their first two possessions, then scored points on five-straight possessions around the halftime break. Justin Fields completed 62 percent of his passes for 8.5 yards per attempt, and ran for 82 yards on 14 carries. 

"He just made a lot of plays, I’d say," Devin McCourty said. "Throwing, dropping back, scrambling, more designed runs than we saw on film. I think with the extended time they added some plays that I think we saw in the Baltimore game with Lamar Jackson. Some of those style of plays, but we just didn’t do a good job of keeping him in the pocket. Early they had some kind of moving the pocket plays, boot plays, roll pass, to get them more comfortable. But then, just some big third downs where he was able to scramble, by time, throw some passes on the run. Things that we knew coming in. I would just say overall, across the board, as a team, it was just a poor showing. Across the board, from beginning all the way to the end.”

SECOND GUESS

Where to start?

The QB plan was a disaster, obviously. The Patriots are now left with two QBs who have zero confidence, and the presumed franchise QB didn't even get enough work in to feel any more confident going forward.

And it came as a surprise to the Patriots that the Bears might run Justin Fields a little bit more? The Patriots looked like their previous versions on defense — old and slow, and it was almost made complete by Jamie Collins being out there. 

TURNING POINT

The Zappe-Meyers fumble, followed by the Bears converting 3rd and 14 and 3rd and 16 to get a field goal before halftime when they were getting the ball to start the second half (scored a field goal to push lead to 23-14 at that point).

That was just an embarrassing sequence all around, offense and defense.

THREE UP

Matthew Judon: Didn't look like he was perfect either with some of the work on the edge, but he did have 2.5 sacks, another QB hit and a pass defensed. Continues to be a one-man wrecking crew up front.

DeVante Parker: His jumpball catch was sensational and led him to three catches for 68 yards.

Rhamondre Stevenson: Didn't find much great room on the ground (3.5 yards) but he ran hard and was a weapon in the pass game with 8 catches on 8 targets for 59 yards.

THREE DOWN

The coaches: If you lose like this to the Bears at home in all three phases, make the Bears look like a real offense, start a QB controversy, get nothing out of special teams ... it starts at the top.

Trent Brown: Four penalties and some real shoddy play.

Jake Bailey: Had a 31.8 net average. That is ... not good. How much are they paying him again?

TOP PLAYS

INJURIES

DE Deatrich Wise (unknown): Left game but returned.

S Kyle Dugger (ankle): Left game and did not return.

S Adrian Phillips (unknown): Left game but returned.

LB Ja'Whaun Bentley (foot): Left game early in the fourth quarter.

C David Andrews (head): Left game in 4th quarter after blindside block and did not return. 

TWO TAKES BEDARD WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

This was a terrible loss: This was a game the Patriots had to have, at least for the momentum of the thing. They could have been 4-3 heading to the Jets with a chance to pull into a second-place tie in the AFC East. It wasn't a horrific loss — it would have been worse if this was in the AFC — but now they are 3-4 and two games behind the 5-2 Jets. A loss on Sunday to New York could be a backbreaker.

Seven-game starts since Brady left: 2020: 2-5, won two straight after that; 2021: 3-4, won seven straight; 2022: 3-4, ????

The only time Brady started below .500 was 2002 (3-4).

Did Belichick think this game was a foregone conclusion?: If this QB situation was really designed before the game, as Belichick says, did it enter into his mind the team could lose this game? I'm beginning to wonder that to help explain some of his thinking. He told ESPN, both before the game and at halftime, that he was going to play both QBs in both halves. That's preseason stuff. The only way you think that way is if you believe the opposing offense will have a tough time and the game will never be out of reach. It feels like it never entered his mind that Fields and the Bears offense could do that — the yards, points, third-down conversions and a nearly 15-minute time of possession (a whole quarter!). And that seemed to sink the team. This is quite the mess.