Dominant defensive effort helps Patriots send Bears into hibernation in Week 10

In a battle of two rookie quarterbacks, the Patriots tapped into the throwback machine to grind out a well-earned road victory over the Bears at a blustery Soldier Field Sunday afternoon. Yes, Drake Maye was consistent and solid save for one interception, but New England's much-maligned defense paved the way for the team's third win of the season a week after a dismal performance in Tennessee.

The Patriots held the Bears to 142 total yards while sacking Caleb Williams nine times en route to a 19-3 win in Chicago that felt more lopsided than what the scoreboard displayed. It was very clear that these are two teams and two quarterbacks headed in opposite directions.

Despite sitting with a 3-7 record, Maye and the Patriots are making progress every week while the Bears are a hot mess and haven't scored a touchdown in back to back games.

There were plenty of Patriots' heroes in this one, so it's hard to narrow it down, but here are a few that were the vital pieces in sending New England home in the win column.

The 3 best players in the Patriots Week 10 win over the Bears

1. Anfernee Jennings

It would be easy to pick the entire defense here, but we're going to go with Jennings, who along with Deatrich Wise, Jr., had two sacks. Jennings finished with four tackles and was in Williams' face all game long.

He was going to be in the spotlight a lot more after Joshua Uche was traded to Kansas City, and Jennings was just one piece of the Patriots' best defensive effort of the season. The worst position for any member of a front seven to be in is behind the quarterback, and Jennings and the Patriots' front did an exceptional job keeping Williams inside the numbers and flustered.

As a group, the defense recorded nine sacks on Caleb Williams, tied for the most in a single game in franchise history. It was a performance reminiscent of the 2023 roster, and although the Bears' offensive line was depleted, it was an impressive day for the defense.

2. Drake Maye

The rookie signal-caller continues to grow and shift every week, and perhaps the biggest gear change came right before halftime when Maye overcame an interception to engineer an impressive touchdown drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to Ja'Lynn Polk. Maye finished his day 15-for-25 with 184 yards, one touchdown, and 24 rushing yards on four carries.

Maye used his legs when he had to, but he had plenty of help from his friends and made key throws when he had to. He got the Patriots into field goal range at the end of the first half after the defense forced a 3-and-out and a clutch throw to Hunter Henry on a third down late in the fourth quarter set up a field goal that put the Bears away.

3. Rhamondre Stevenson

Stevenson's numbers (74 yards, 20 carries) don't exactly resemble those of Walter Payton, but Stevenson was good enough to keep Chicago's defense off-balance and give Maye clean pockets. Maye was only sacked once and didn't have to run all over the place like he did against the Titans.

Stevenson led a Patriots' ground attack that finished with 144 yards, which isn't glamorous but good enough to keep your young quarterback from getting killed. The question is, can Stevenson be that consistent lead back for the rest of the season?

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