It wasn’t a pretty game, but the New England Patriots got it done. The Patriots led by James White defeated the Chicago Bears 38-31 on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. The two teams traded the lead multiple times over the course of the game. The Patriots took a 14-point fourth quarter lead when Mitchell Trubisky almost led the Bears back from the jaws of defeat.
Trubisky cut the Patriots lead to seven with a touchdown to Trey Burton. After a Patriots punt with 30 seconds left, Trubisky drove the Bears down the field into hail mary position. His hail mary attempt was caught by Kevin White at the one-yard line, but he was stopped by the Patriots secondary sealing the 38-31 victory.
New England Patriots Defeat Chicago Bears Led by James White’s Big Day
James White AKA “Sweet Feet”
White had himself another fantastic game this season. Sony Michel’s injury derailed the dominant run he had been on the last three weeks. Insert White into the picture. White showed up and more for the Patriots offense. He led the team with eight receptions for 57 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, he carried the ball 11 times for 40 yards.
White’s biggest impact came in the red zone. In the second quarter, White caught a five-yard pass from Tom Brady that gave the Patriots their first lead since the first quarter. White’s touchdown put the Patriots back in front.
His second touchdown gave the Patriots a big enough lead to hold off the Bears. James White’s two-yard touchdown reception from Brady made it a two-touchdown lead. This was just enough as the defense survived the Bears aggressive fourth-quarter comeback attempt. White is expected to have an even bigger role next week with the injury to Michel. This is only the beginning for White.
The Wild Ride That Is Special Teams
The Patriots had an up and down day with their special teams’ units. Early in the game, Cordarrelle Patterson saw himself get in some hot water. Patterson fumbled a kickoff return giving the ball right back to the Bears. Trubisky then capitalized after running around the field for an eight-yard touchdown. The Patriots went down 17-7 later in the half when Patterson found redemption.
Patterson took the ensuing kickoff all the way back for a 95-yard touchdown. It certainly was a key play in the game. If he doesn’t take it back, the Patriots are down two scores with their backs against the wall. If the Patriots went down three scores, this game might have been over.
The special teams of the Patriots were not done yet. Tied at 24, Dont’a Hightower blocked a Bears punt and Kyle Van Noy put the Patriots out front for good taking a 31-24 lead. This was the team’s first punt block returned for a touchdown since Tedy Bruschi did it back in 1996. Somewhere in the northeast, Bruschi probably gave out an Awwwww Yeah! for Van Noy.
Last Word on Week Seven
The Patriots are now 5-2 on the season. The absence of Rob Gronkowski wasn’t enough for the Patriots to fall on the road. The injury to Michel is a concern for the rest of the season. His durability was questioned coming out of college. The Patriots now hold sole possession of first place in the AFC East. They look to add on next week as they take on the Buffalo Bills on Monday night.
