You may not believe this, but the Patriots played some great defense against Caleb Williams and the Bears on Thursday night.
On 58 plays, the Patriots allowed just 175 total yards, or 3.0 yards per play.
The problem was that New England was basically a train wreck on the other eight plays, which accounted for 230 yards (28.8 average) and cost the Patriots a road victory.
8 plays. 57 percent of the Bears' yardage.
There was a whole lot of bad on those plays (and a few other related plays). Missed tackles. Coverage busts. Poor effort. Bad technique. Burned Zak Kuhr blitzes (too many of those). And there were some really strange coverage calls in the back end, like Charles Woods being asked to man up against TE Colston Loveland on a 4th and 2, or asking Christian Gonzalez to give more cushion than the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Oh, and let's also give a hat tip to Ben Johnson because the quick-snapped the Patriots a few times so they could not time up their blitzes, and it contributed to some coverage busts (did Garrett Bradbury have any influence on that?).
A breakdown of the debacle on defense, with words and video:
1-10-CHI 46 (11:30) C.Williams pass short right to L.Burden to NE 28 for 26 yards (C.Woodson).
And it started with the Bears' very first play.
Patriots come with a BLITZ right off the bat, and it doesn't get there (a running theme). Marcus Jones misses the first of his many tackles to yield another 10 yards to Luther Burden, who, you might like to know, was drafted one spot after TreVeyon Henderson.
2-10-CHI 26 (3:30) (Shotgun) C.Williams pass short left to C.Loveland pushed ob at CHI 37 for 11 yards (C.Elliss).
2-9-CHI 38 (2:32) (Shotgun) C.Williams pass deep left to L.Burden to NE 4 for 58 yards (K.Byard).
1-4-NE 4 (1:43) D.Swift left end for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
On the play prior, the Patriots brought Marcus Jones on a slot BLITZ from Caleb Williams right. On the next play, Kuhr BLITZES Jones from the left. I have no idea what the Patriots are doing in coverage. The Bears have Loveland and Rome Odunze there with Christian Elliss, Jones and Craig Woodson over them. Does Woodson drop down to replace Jones? No. He stays deep. This pitch-and-catch from Williams to Loveland is way too easy over Jones and with Ellis giving the TE 5 yards of cushion.
On 2-and-9, the Bears quick-count the Patriots, and Gonzalez scrambles to get into position as the Bears snap it. The Patriots BLITZ again with Jones coming