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Bears host Patriots on Thursday night

Sports · Heat 5.1 / 10 · 12 shows · 4h 28m airtime

The Chicago Bears hosted the New England Patriots at Soldier Field on Thursday night, October 22, 2026, entering as three-point favorites. Most reporting has Chicago winning 30-24 on Cairo Santos' career-long 58-yard field goal, after a late Caleb Williams sack dropped the field goal make probability from about 72 percent to 28 percent. Earlier coverage focused on New England's 13 giveaways this season against 16 all of last year, the Patriots' injury list, and Bears giveaways of fake Ditka mustaches and 10,000 headbands. The discussion now splits on the result itself, with shows reporting 27-21 and 32-24 Chicago wins.

How 12 podcasts covered it

  1. The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-22 (30:39 to 32:32)
    Debates whether the matchup deserved a Sunday slot
    Debates whether Bears-Patriots is a Super Bowl preview and whether the matchup deserved a Sunday slot. Rich defends Thursday Night Football's record from his NFL Network years; the substance stays inside the pregame framing already on the record.
  2. The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-22 (32:32 to 36:11)
    Runs through pregame nuggets for Bears-Patriots
    Runs through pregame nuggets for Bears-Patriots: Chicago's league-leading rush offense held under 100 yards in two straight without Kyle Monangai, New England's run defense holding five of six opponents under 100, and Drake May's touchdown-to-interception turnaround. Stays inside the preview frame.
  3. First Things First, 2026-10-22 (2:49 to 14:09)
    Adds New England's 13 giveaways
    Previews the Thursday night Bears-Patriots game and picks it apart: New England's cluster injuries in the secondary and offensive line, Caleb Williams' hot start against weak defenses, and Drake Maye's three-week tear. The panel splits on the pick and lands on score predictions.
    New angle: The Patriots have 13 giveaways this season after totaling 16 all of last year.
  4. First Things First, 2026-10-22 (1:29:38 to 1:41:19)
    Adds the Ditka giveaway and the debate
    Turns the Bears-Patriots game into a debate segment, with Danny arguing Ben Johnson's home record outside the NFC North and Wilds countering with New England's defensive rankings. Adds the Ditka giveaway and the Bears' yards-per-play-allowed figure to the record.
    New angle: The Bears are giving out fake Ditka mustaches and 10,000 headbands at the game.
  5. First Things First, 2026-10-22 (2:12:14 to 2:13:20)
    Debates who needs Thursday's win more
    Closes the show with a quick debate over who needs the Thursday night win more, Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, leaning on Maye's Super Bowl trip and Williams' rookie-year loss to him. The Ditka mustache giveaway and the billboard are a retelling of what the card already has.
  6. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-23 (44:44 to 50:46)
    Previews Bears-Patriots and picks Chicago
    Previews the Bears-Patriots Thursday night game and picks Chicago, leaning on New England's injury report. It reads out the specific names: center Ben Brown, corner Carlton Davis and guard Elijah Veritaker ruled out, with Morgan Moses, Kevin Byard, Christian Ellis and Craig Woodson questionable.
    New angle: Center Ben Brown, corner Carlton Davis and guard Elijah Veritaker are ruled out for the Patriots; Morgan Moses, Kevin Byard, Christian Ellis and Craig Woodson are questionable.
  7. The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL, 2026-10-23 (2:31 to 4:38)
    Opens the recap of the 30-24 win
    Opens the recap of the Bears' 30-24 Thursday night win over the Patriots at Soldier Field, framing it as the Caleb Williams-Drake Maye showcase and teasing Robert Mays' call-in from the game. The result itself is the new fact.
    New angle: The Bears beat the Patriots 30-24 at Soldier Field on Thursday night.
  8. The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL, 2026-10-23 (4:38 to 7:41)
    Frames Williams and Maye as the next pairing
    Big-picture reaction to the Thursday night game: frames Williams and Maye as the next Mahomes-Allen pairing and notes Maye finished second in MVP voting last year. Opinion and comparison built on the result already on the record, with no new development.
  9. The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL, 2026-10-23 (7:41 to 13:36)
    Walks through the game's biggest swings
    Mays calls in from Soldier Field and walks through the game's biggest swings: the Hail Mary before halftime, the botched handoff to a lineman, Williams' late sack and Santos' career-long 58-yard kick. Color from the stands rather than a new result.
    New angle: Cairo Santos made a career-long 58-yard field goal to win it after Caleb Williams' late sack nearly cost the Bears the game.
  10. The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL, 2026-10-23 (16:53 to 21:15)
    Puts a number on the late sack
    Recaps the redemption arcs and the two quarterbacks' command of the pocket, then puts a number on the late sack: it dropped the Bears' field goal make probability from about 72 percent to 28 percent before Santos hit from 58.
    New angle: Caleb Williams' late sack dropped the Bears' field goal make probability from about 72 percent to 28 percent.
  11. The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL, 2026-10-23 (21:15 to 22:28)
    Breaks down Maye's red zone interception
    Breaks down Maye's red zone interception on the seam route to Eli Raritan, arguing the decision was sound and the ball placement was not. Stays inside the play already on the record from the Bears game.
  12. The Bill Simmons Podcast, 2026-10-23 (2:59 to 18:38)
    Recaps the Thursday game at 27-21
    Recaps the Thursday night game with Pelissero, but the score it puts on the record is 27-21, not the 30-24 already logged. The rest is retelling: Williams' near-disaster sack, Maye's end-zone pick, the 58-yard kick, and the NFC North's 17 combined wins.
    New angle: The Bears beat the Patriots 27-21 in Chicago.
  13. Pardon My Take, 2026-10-23 (2:29 to 21:00)
    Logs a third score of 32-24 for the Bears
    Recaps the Thursday night game from the Bears' side and puts a third score on the record: 32-24, against the 30-24 and 27-21 already logged. The rest is reaction to Caleb Williams' night and a long riff on an illegal handoff to an ineligible lineman.
    New angle: The Bears beat the Patriots 32-24 on Thursday Night Football.
  14. Nightcap, 2026-10-23 (3:13 to 20:47)
    Recaps the Bears win and the same stat lines
    Long recap of the Bears' 30-24 win over New England: Williams' two-game yardage total, Burden's first half, the pre-halftime defensive lapse and Maye's end-zone interception. It stays inside the result and the same stat lines other shows already logged.
  15. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-23 (1:26 to 15:57)
    Adds May's 320 yards and the Bears' third downs
    Reaction to the Thursday night game that stays with the result and the two quarterbacks, then puts numbers on the record the earlier coverage did not have: Drake May's 24-of-31 for 320 yards, A.J. Brown's six targets and three catches, and Chicago's 4-of-12 on third down.
    New angle: Drake May threw for 320 yards on 24-of-31 passing; A.J. Brown had six targets and three catches.
  16. The Dan Le Batard Show, 2026-10-23 (30:08 to 32:42)
    Recaps the win and crowns Caleb Williams
    Recaps the Thursday night result and lands on Caleb Williams, calling him the best quarterback in Bears history. It misnames the opponent as Washington and adds a stat line the file did not have.
    New angle: Caleb Williams threw for 308 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Thursday night win.
  17. First Take, 2026-10-23 (1:59 to 7:35)
    Breaks down Williams' clean-pocket numbers
    Breaks down the Bears' Thursday night win over New England and puts a new pressure split on the record: Williams is 77 of 88 when not pressured, the highest through four starts since ESPN began tracking in 2009. Orlovsky questions the opponent's health; Smith predicts a Super Bowl within two years.
    New angle: Caleb Williams is 77 of 88 when not pressured, the highest through four starts since ESPN began tracking in 2009.
  18. First Take, 2026-10-23 (7:35 to 16:02)
    Argues Chicago is the NFC's second-best team
    Picks up the morning after the Patriots win to argue Chicago is the NFC's second-best team, breaking down Williams' anticipation on a throw to Loveland. The one hard new number: a 154-play differential through seven games, the largest since 1966.
    New angle: Chicago has run 154 more plays than its opponents through seven games, the most since 1966.
  19. First Take, 2026-10-23 (0:00 to 1:51)
    Recaps the 30-24 win and the numbers
    Cold open recaps the Bears' 30-24 Thursday night win over the Patriots, with Williams at 308 yards and two touchdowns and May at 321 yards plus a red-zone interception. It stays inside the numbers already on the record before turning to the division.
  20. The Dan Patrick Show, 2026-10-23 (12:12 to 17:54)
    Recaps the win and Williams' accuracy
    Fishbain recaps the Thursday night win and stays inside the story already on the record: Williams' accuracy and checkdowns, the Drew Brees conversation, Ben Johnson's scheme. The one addition is a record note, that Chicago is 2-6 in the NFC North under Johnson.
  21. The Dan Patrick Show, 2026-10-23 (18:51 to 24:33)
    Interviews the Bears writer on Williams
    Brings on The Athletic's Bears writer to talk through the Thursday night win and Caleb Williams' growth into a pocket passer. Adds one roster note from the game: Cole Kmet went down with an injury, and the Bears are banged up.
    New angle: Cole Kmet went down with an injury in the Thursday night win over the Patriots.
  22. The Dan Patrick Show, 2026-10-23 (3:27 to 5:37)
    Adds Maye's red zone turnover counts
    Recaps the Bears' 30-24 Thursday night win and the 5-2 / 4-3 records, then turns to Drake Maye's red zone turnovers. The score and records are a retelling; the red zone interception counts are a new figure on the same game.
  23. The Dan Patrick Show, 2026-10-23 (5:59 to 8:38)
    Questions the 58-yard field goal call
    Recaps Caleb Williams' night against the Patriots through Ben Johnson's postgame comments and questions the Bears' decision to kick a 58-yard field goal rather than punt. It stays inside the Thursday night result already on the record.
  24. The Dan Patrick Show, 2026-10-23 (8:38 to 10:22)
    Adds Williams' back-to-back 300-yard stat
    Picks up the Thursday night win through a Shefty stat: Williams' 308 yards make him the first Bears quarterback with back-to-back 300-yard games since Mitchell Trubisky in 2018, who had three straight in weeks four through seven. The rest is a short riff on coaching decisions judged by outcomes.
    New angle: Caleb Williams is the first Bears quarterback with consecutive 300-yard games since Mitchell Trubisky in 2018.
  25. Nightcap, 2026-10-23 (10:22 to 22:01)
    Recaps the Bears win drive by drive
    Drive-by-drive recap of the 30-24 Bears win, crediting Caleb Williams, the fourth-down conversions and Burton's 130 yards, and calling Drake Maye's end-zone interception the turning point. It stays inside the result and the box score already on the record.
  26. The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-23 (3:47 to 10:15)
    Runs through the box score and postgame quotes
    Reacts to the Thursday night win over New England, running through Williams' 22-of-33, 308-yard line and Luther Burden's 130 yards, then argues Williams is the best Bears quarterback since McMahon. Stays inside the box score and the postgame quotes.
  27. The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-23 (12:32 to 17:28)
    Walks the remaining schedule to a win total
    Reacts to the Thursday night loss in Chicago and turns to what's next: the run game is missing, Maye threw a red-zone interception, and the hosts walk the remaining schedule game by game, landing on a 10-11 win season.
    New angle: The Patriots' next game is at Miami, followed by a home game against Green Bay in Munich before a bye.
  28. The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-23 (17:23 to 19:49)
    Recaps the win through the defense and Kmet
    Recaps the Bears' win through the defense and the Kmet injury, calling the defense better than its names and the offense one of the league's best if Caleb Williams stays healthy. Stays inside the week's coverage.
  29. The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-23 (19:37 to 25:27)
    Ranks Williams above every Bears quarterback
    Tom Waddle, a day after the Thursday night win, ranks Caleb Williams above every Bears quarterback he has seen, Harbaugh and Cutler included, and credits Ben Johnson's accountability and the checkdown emphasis for the accuracy jump. Reaction and praise, no new development.
  30. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-23 (4:35 to 8:27)
    Recaps the win and the backup quarterbacks
    Recaps the Thursday night win over New England, praising Caleb Williams inside Ben Johnson's system and Drake May's play in the loss. It stays inside the result and the eye test, adding only that the Bears won games with Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent while Williams was hurt.
  31. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-23 (8:47 to 12:05)
    Recaps Santos' 58-yard kick and Ditka's death
    Recaps Santos' 58-yard kick with 1:35 left and the Ben Johnson culture behind Chicago's start, then pivots to Ditka's death and the Bears' arrival. Reaction and framing inside the result already on the record.
  32. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-23 (15:10 to 17:28)
    Reports Kmet's injury believed season-ending
    Rapoport follows the Kmet injury from Thursday night: the knee buckled before contact, the MRI is done, and the belief is a season-ending injury, with Ben Johnson set to speak later.
    New angle: Cole Kmet's knee injury is believed serious and season-ending; he has had an MRI.
  33. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-23 (1:06:36 to 1:09:45)
    Recaps Williams near-perfect in his return
    Recaps the Thursday night win from Utah: Caleb Williams near-perfect in his second game back, Ben Johnson's offense rolling, Cole Kmet hurt on a non-contact play. Frames both Chicago and New England as future Super Bowl staples. Retelling, no new development.
  34. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-23 (1:09:47 to 1:12:59)
    Breaks down Maye's red zone interception pattern
    Breaks down Maye's red zone interception in the Thursday night loss and puts a figure on the pattern: he is the only quarterback this season with multiple end-zone interceptions. Frames it as a 24-year-old doing too much rather than a flaw.
    New angle: Drake May is the only quarterback with multiple interceptions targeting the end zone this season, with three.
  35. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-23 (0:27 to 5:43)
    Recaps the win and the 405 yards allowed
    Recaps the Thursday night win from Chicago, crediting Caleb Williams against a Vrabel defense. It puts new figures on the record: 405 total yards, the most New England has allowed under Vrabel, and Williams as the first quarterback in a calendar year to throw for 300 against it.
    New angle: The Bears' 405 yards are the most the Patriots have allowed in a game under Mike Vrabel.
  36. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-23 (5:38 to 10:51)
    Argues Maye carries a thin Patriots offense
    Argues Maye is carrying a thin Patriots offense with no number one receiver or running back and an injured line, and plays Vrabel's postgame praise. The 320-yard line is already on the record; the new material is the roster assessment and the Keion White trade.
    New angle: The Patriots traded Keion White away and later reacquired him from Houston.
  37. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-23 (10:57 to 14:25)
    Pushes back on the Patriots defense being elite
    Pushes back on the Patriots defense being elite, citing the points Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen put up on it and advanced stats that rank it middle of the pack, then pivots to the Bears' energy and youth and the sloppiness of Thursday games.
    New angle: Trevor Lawrence scored 35 and Josh Allen 26 against the Patriots defense, which some advanced stats rank middle of the pack.
  38. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-23 (27:59 to 32:48)
    Picks the Bears' second-half touchdown drive
    Picks one sequence from the Thursday night win: the fluky screen touchdown Chicago allowed before halftime and the nine-play, 72-yard touchdown drive it opened the second half with. Frames it as maturity under Ben Johnson and plays his locker room speech.
    New angle: Chicago opened the second half with a nine-play, 72-yard touchdown drive and has the third-highest third-quarter success rate this year.
  39. First Things First, 2026-10-23 (2:01 to 14:41)
    Argues Williams is the best of his class
    Long segment on the Thursday night win, built around Danny Parkins' case that Caleb Williams is now a superstar and the best quarterback of his draft class. Retells the 308-yard, two-touchdown night and the clean-pocket accuracy, and stays inside the numbers other shows already put on the record.
  40. First Things First, 2026-10-23 (14:41 to 23:00)
    Rehashes the loss through May's interception
    Rehashes the Thursday night loss through Drake May's end-zone interception, arguing it was the difference in the game, and runs through his four-week stat line. Stays inside the red-zone turnover thread already on the record, then turns to A.J. Brown's role and both teams' ceilings.
  41. PTI, 2026-10-23 (1:08 to 4:14)
    Recaps the Thursday win and calls both contenders
    Recaps the Thursday night win and calls both teams contenders, with Williams growing into an MVP case and Maye's end-zone interception the one blemish. Stays inside the result and the division framing already on the record.
  42. The Rich Eisen Show, 2026-10-26 (34:30 to 37:10)
    Argues Chicago is the NFC team to beat
    Overreaction segment that calls Chicago the team to beat in the NFC on the strength of the Thursday win over New England, then runs through the schedule: at Seattle, Tampa Bay, Thanksgiving at Detroit. Opinion and schedule talk, no new development.
  43. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-26 (22:04 to 24:03)
    Reports from Soldier Field on Williams
    Colin's live read from Soldier Field: Williams looks different in person than on TV, Josh Allen without the picks, while May has no number one receiver. Stays inside the game's aftermath and the eight chunk plays already on the record.
  44. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-28 (1:09:30 to 1:14:27)
    Runs through Week 7 results rapid-fire
    Rapid-fire recap of Week 7 that leads with the Bears' 30-24 Thursday night win and Caleb Williams, then runs through Minnesota, Pittsburgh, the Rams, Denver and Cleveland in a few lines each. Stays inside results already on the record.
  45. Nightcap, 2026-10-28 (0:24 to 4:32)
    Recaps the Bears' Thursday night win
    Recaps the Bears' 30-24 Thursday night win over New England, praising the Williams-Johnson pairing and singling out the pre-halftime Stevenson touchdown against a prevent defense. Everything here is already on the record, including the 613-yard two-game stretch.
  46. Nightcap, 2026-10-28 (4:32 to 7:08)
    Breaks down Maye's end-zone interception
    Breaks down Drake May's pre-halftime end-zone interception against the Bears, arguing he stared down the safety and threw flat instead of up and over. Frames it as one of several empty possessions against a championship-caliber Chicago defense.
  47. Nightcap, 2026-10-28 (7:03 to 8:52)
    Argues the Bears traded Moore because Burden emerged
    Recaps Williams' 613-yard two-game stretch and Luther Burden's 130-yard first half against New England, then argues the Bears traded DJ Moore because Burden, Dunze and the tight ends are enough. Stays inside the Patriots game's numbers.
  48. Nightcap, 2026-10-28 (12:56 to 17:50)
    Frames New England's 4-3 start as schedule-driven
    Uses the Thursday night loss as a springboard into New England's 4-3 start against last year's 14-3, crediting Drake Maye's three-touchdown streak and blaming a first-place schedule. Stays inside the Bears game and the season record already on the card.
Unpacking...