The New England Patriots defeated the Chicago Bears in Week 10 for their third win of the season and held No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and his offense to 142 total yards.
That’s right. The Patriots’ defense showed up and made a difference in New England’s win, and rookie quarterback Drake Maye did not let this go unrecognized when he addressed the media following the game.
“Phones down. Phones down, notepads down real quick,” Maye requested, per team-provided video. “Clap it up for the defense. Clap it up. Clap it up. Somebody else, clap it up.”
The Patriots’ defense sacked Williams nine times for a loss of 51 yards, and Maye had a front-row seat, watching from the sidelines.
“Man, it’s a good feeling sitting over there,” Maye said. “You know, offense, as a quarterback, that type of defensive performance … I feel like, all I’ve got is 11 routes at a time, but I know 15, 20 plays. Just credit them. Credit them in practice this week.
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“And it’s kind of a good taste of what it looked like for me in training camp. They get after you, mix up shell, mix up coverage. It’s pretty cool to watch and it’s good to be on the other side of the ball.”
The Patriots’ defense was not only solid against the pass, limiting the Bears to just 120 passing yards, but it was also lethal against the run. Chicago managed a measly 73 yards and held D’Andre Swift to 59 yards on 16 carries.
Despite Williams taking the loss, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo doesn’t believe the rookie has anything to worry about.
“I still believe Caleb Williams will be a very good player in this league,” Mayo told reporters, per team-provided video. “But, just like any rookie, he’s going to go through his ups and downs. It doesn’t matter what position you play. But he’ll be a special player. He’s got to stick to it.”
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Featured image via Mike Dinovo/Imagn Images