The New England Patriots came into Soldier Field on Thursday night riding a three-game winning streak, and they left with a 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears in a game they never led, with quarterback Drake Maye and the offense spending most of the night climbing out of an early hole.

But it was the play-calling that had analyst Marcus Whitman and a handful of fans calling out offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, questioning how prepared the Patriots were for Chicago’s blitzes and how conservative the calls looked.

Blitzes and Early-Down Runs Drew the First Wave of Criticism of Josh McDaniels

The trouble started on the opening possession. New England went for it on fourth down near midfield, and a blitz from defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit got to Maye for a sack, turning the ball over on downs. The Patriots were working with backup guards Walter Rouse and Matt Pryor, while Morgan Moses played through a foot injury at right tackle.

The next two drives were three-and-outs. That left New England with 30 yards on 12 plays across its first three possessions, and Chicago led 10-0 after one quarter.

The Patriots finished the night 2-of-7 on third down, and 0-1 on fourth down while the Bears went 2-2 on fourth down and 4-12 on third down.

Whitman didn’t hold back, writing that McDaniels and Maye “have looked remarkably unprepared for Dennis Allen’s DB Blitzes so far… Which is impressive considering we all know that’s gonna be the Bears gameplan.”

One fan made the same case about Chicago’s pressure and took it further: “Josh McDaniels has 0 idea what to call against cover 0 and this is why we lost the Super Bowl.”

The Patriots reached the Super Bowl last season and lost to the Seattle Seahawks.

Others took issue with how cautious the plan looked. Another fan posted, “Josh McDaniels calling the most conservative game you’ve ever seen in primetime. A tale as old as time.”

Another fan’s verdict was even shorter: “Conservative and awful.”

Another fan took aim at how predictable the calls were, writing, “Josh McDaniels be like ‘no one will expect this’ and my dog is screaming HB dive at the TV on 3rd down.”

The same fan followed up minutes later: “Josh McDaniels when you most expect it, while sharing a graphic of the play call “HB Dive” from the game Madden.

How Drake Maye and the Offense Answered the Pressure

Starting with their fourth drive, the Patriots began throwing more on first and second down, and the points followed. New England scored three touchdowns and a field goal on its final seven possessions.

The touchdowns were Maye’s 7-yard run, Rhamondre Stevenson’s 48-yard catch-and-run on the final play of the first half, and a 30-yard pass to rookie tight end Eli Raridon.

Maye finished 24-of-31 for 321 yards and two touchdowns. His lone interception came in the second quarter, with New England in the red zone and trailing 13-7. Linebacker D’Marco Jackson picked off a pass intended for Raridon in the end zone, and Chicago answered with a touchdown drive.

Pro Football Network’s NFL QB Impact Grade has Maye at 84.2 through Week 7 of the 2026 season, 5th of 34 graded quarterbacks. His Impact Grade for the full 2025 season was 91.7, which ranked first in the league.

Asked after the game what adjustments the offense made, head coach Mike Vrabel said, “We protected when they pressured. … our ability to pick it up and hit some chunk plays was really the reason we were in it there in the second half.”

On the ground, New England finished with 70 yards on 17 carries. The offensive line still cost the Patriots at a key moment. Down 27-21, New England had a drive with a chance to take the lead, but it died on false starts by Will Campbell on 3rd-and-1 and Pryor on 4th-and-2, and the Patriots punted.

The loss dropped the Patriots to 4-3, second in the AFC East, and lifted the Bears to 5-2. New England visits the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 8 on Nov. 1, and Chicago plays the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 2.