CHICAGO — As he was answering a question about his second-quarter interception, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye couldn’t hide his emotions.
“Gosh,” he said, mid-response. “Those plays can swing the game.”
Moments after the Patriots lost to the Bears on Thursday night, 30-24, Maye’s frustration with himself was apparent. With his team trailing 13-7, and the ball on Chicago’s 15-yard line, Maye threw an interception in the end zone. The play never had a chance, with Maye’s poorly placed ball intended for tight end Eli Raridon easily getting picked off by Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson.
“I know that was a big turning point in the game,” Maye said. “I know I let my team down.”
The mistake, Maye’s first turnover in two weeks, had the Patriots playing catch-up for the rest of the game. The Bears scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive to extend their lead to 20-7 and, despite New England’s fight, held on to win.
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The shorthanded Patriots — against a talented opponent on a short week, on the road, on a national stage — had their chances but didn’t have quite enough.
Maye completed 24 of 31 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns, and also scrambled for 26 yards and a score. The pick marred his otherwise solid stat sheet.
“It’s a thin margin when you play good teams,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “I know [Drake] would like that throw back to Eli, but I thought he really competed, whether that was running around or scrambling or finding good places to go with the football. He gave us a chance. I know he would like that one back, but he’ll learn from it like he always does.”
After the turnover, there were still multiple moments where it looked as though the Patriots might have clawed back into the game.
Related: Patriots lose, but comported themselves well in loss to Bears, and other observations
In the closing seconds of the first half, after the Bears went up 13 points, Maye checked the ball down to running back Rhamondre Stevenson as the clock expired. The play should have been a routine stop. Instead, Stevenson caught the ball just beyond the line of scrimmage, scampered across the open field, and ran 48 yards, almost untouched, into the end zone.
The improbable touchdown gave the Patriots life. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Stevenson had just a 4.3 percent chance of scoring on the catch-and-run. The touchdown more than doubled the Patriots’ win probability, from 10.2 percent to 24.5 percent.
“I feel like it brought us some momentum,” said Stevenson, who finished with a career-high 93 receiving yards. “But obviously not enough.”
Even in the second half, the Patriots still had opportunities. They just never managed to take advantage, and sometimes shot themselves in the foot.
Trailing 27-21 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, on a fourth and 2 with the ball on New England’s 48-yard line, right guard Matt Pryor committed a false start that pushed the Patriots back 5 yards. Vrabel then made the decision to pull the offense off the field and send on the punt team.
The Bears had a chance to make it a two-possession game on their next possession, but kicker Cairo Santos doinked his 53-yard field goal attempt off the right upright. The Patriots offense, with strong field position at their own 43, proceeded to go three-and-out, including a 10-yard sack on second down.
“That’s probably what I’m going to be thinking about the most over the weekend, having two chances with the ball,” Maye said. “We had to go do our part. We just can’t have penalties and me not operating at a high level to move the chains and get going, especially after the missed field goal. We had a three-and-out, a bad three-and-out.”
Related: Patriots place guard Alijah Vera-Tucker on injured reserve with hamstring injury
It’s possible the injuries may finally be catching up with the Patriots. They started backups to the backups, Pryor and Walter Rouse, at guard. They had only four active wide receivers, with Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins on injured reserve. They were without starting cornerback Carlton Davis for a third straight game.
Vrabel seemed content with makeshift offensive line’s protection, but the unit committed four penalties on the night. Rouse was flagged for holding. So was right tackle Morgan Moses. Left tackle Will Campbell also committed a false start on a third and 1.
The Patriots have plenty to clean up defensively, too. They missed 10 tackles in the first half, according to Pro Football Focus. Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III had 130 yards in the first half alone. Quarterback Caleb Williams made some exceptional throws, including a critical third-down pass to Rome Odunze late in the fourth quarter.
“The tackling wasn’t good enough, not against this team,” Vrabel said. “Whether it’s [running back D’Andre] Swift, Burden, or the quarterback, it just leads to extra yards and conversions. We fought, but we didn’t turn the ball over and we need to tackle better. Those are fundamental skills.”
Taking a loss after three straight wins while weathering a growing list of absences, the 4-3 Patriots will hit the reset button with the weekend off.
Up next will be a matchup on the road a week from Sunday against the winless Dolphins.