Week 12 Game Recap: Chicago Bears 13, New England Patriots 17

What you need to know

Chicago Bears

RB Thomas Jones was just one yard shy of 100 yards rushing on the day against the Patriots. He carried the ball a team high 23 times, yet he still lost touches to RB Cedric Benson. Benson came in for ten carries of his own throughout the game, including a two yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The starter job still goes to Jones, who picked up more yardage than Benson in the third quarter alone (10-48), yet the loss of the score is troubling to fantasy owners of Jones.

QB Rex Grossman was nearly forced from the game both due to an injury and also due to ineffectiveness. After throwing one interception in the first quarter, Grossman lost the handle on a snap and fumbled the ball away to New England inside the Patriots’ ten yard line. He apparently hurt his throwing hand on that play and struggled for the rest of the game, throwing two more interceptions. Over half of his 176 yards came in the first quarter, where he completed seven passes for 123 yards, including four passes and 94 yards to WR Bernard Berrian.

Berrian returned to the production levels that he had in the earlier part of the season, leading all Bears with 104 yards receiving. He also picked up 75 more yards for Chicago by drawing two pass interference calls in the second half. WR Muhsin Muhammad was the only other Bear with over 20 yards receiving, collecting three balls for a combined 37 yards.

The Bears defense allowed over 300 yards for the first time all year, but still managed to force four turnovers despite QB Tom Brady’s performance of more than 250 yards passing.

PK Robbie Gould missed a 45 yard field goal that was tipped at the line, marking the first kick he has missed in his last 27 attempts, including 11 in a row from more than 40 yards away.

New England Patriots

QB Tom Brady led New England to the most yards allowed by the stout Chicago defense all season. He threw for 269 yards, connecting with seven different receivers. Mixing a combination of short passes to running backs with deeper throws to his tight ends and wide receivers, Brady moved the ball on Chicago. Despite three turnovers including two interceptions, Brady seldom threw an errant pass. Both interceptions were the result of deflections, and the third turnover came on a fumble after a completed pass downfield to TE Ben Watson.

Watson led all Patriots’ receivers with six catches for 89 yards, culminating with the only Patriots’ touchdown catch in the final period. Watson had two catches for over 20 yards in the second half including a 40 yard deep pass, the longest New England play of the game.

WR Reche Caldwell was the only wide receiver for the Patriots with more than one catch, grabbing three balls for a combined 57 yards. WR Troy Brown was the only other receiver with a catch, but he also contributed on defense as a DB and also returned punts.

RB Laurence Maroney had a combined 78 yards of offense as a receiver and a rusher, but just 33 of them came on his 13 rushes. He did manage to score on a one yard run in the second quarter, which marked just the fourth rushing touchdown against the Bears all year. Maroney also returned four kickoffs for a combined 95 yards. RB Corey Dillon added 40 more yards rushing, but both Patriot running backs turned the ball over on fumbles.

DB Asante Samuel collected three interceptions on the game, bringing his season total to six. The three picks added to the turnover pile, as QB Rex Grossman also fumbled to DE Richard Seymour. Seymour had the only Patriot sack and also tipped a FG attempt by Chicago PK Robbie Gould.

LB Junior Seau left the game with what appeared to be a right broken arm.

The Patriots installed FieldTurf in record time (eight days vs. a normal six weeks) to improve the field and footing.

What you ought to know

QB Rex Grossman, Pass: 15 - 34 - 176 - 0 TD / 3 INT, Rush: 2 - 1 - 0

Grossman almost did not get a chance to finish the game in Foxboro for a number of reasons. First, he was rather inaccurate with his passes, finishing the day with less than half of his passes winding up in the right hands. Secondly, he managed to throw three interceptions, all to CB Asante Samuel. Third and not least, he fumbled an exchange with the center and then compounded the problem by getting hurt. He appeared to have hurt his throwing hand and it took several minutes for him to be able to make a claim that he was okay to go back in the game. Backup QB Brian Griese was warming up just in case, but Grossman went back out to lead the offense, for better or worse.

Over half of Grossman’s 176 yards came in the first quarter, where he completed seven passes for 123 yards, including four passes and 94 yards to WR Bernard Berrian. He completed only eight passes over the next three quarters on 21 tries for just 53 yards.

RB Thomas Jones, Rush: 23 - 99 - 0, Rec: 1 - -2 - 0 (2 targets)

Jones nearly had another 100 yard rushing game, which would have been his third in a row and fifth in the last seven games. He still ran strong, getting better as the game wore on. He seemed to peak in the third quarter, rushing 10 times for 48 yards, and then capped his afternoon with 35 more on just five carries in the final period. Jones ran twice for a long of 17 yards, with both carries coming in the second half. The only issue with his performance was that RB Cedric Benson stole his touchdown opportunity in the fourth quarter. It should be noted, however, that Jones also got carries in goal line and red zone situations.

RB Cedric Benson, Rush: 10 - 46 - 1

Benson had at least one carry in every quarter as Chicago continues to keep him involved in the running game. He had two runs of 10+ yards in the first half, his only two runs of five yards or more. His final carry was a two yard touchdown plunge in the fourth quarter, which was also his second goal line carry for the day.

RB Jason McKie, Rush: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets)

McKie ran once for seven yards in the second quarter. He was also the target of an errant end zone pass that was at least five yards from him when QB Rex Grossman threw the ball away, yet McKie was officially considered the target.

WR Bernard Berrian, Rec: 5 - 104 - 0 (14 targets)

Berrian seemed to be back in the form that made him a receiving threat for the earlier part of the season, and he wasted no time in getting involved in the offense. Berrian was targeted eight times in the first quarter, catching four of those for four first downs and 94 yards in all. The fourth catch was the highlight, as he made a nice leaping catch inside the New England 10 yard line for a 47 yard reception.

Berrian was the intended receiver of multiple deep balls, which helped Chicago in the second half. Although Berrian had no catches after halftime, he was able to draw two defensive pass interferences that gained 45 and 30 yards each.

WR Muhsin Muhammad, Rec: 3 - 37 - 0 (9 targets)

Muhammad started with a five yard short reception in the first quarter, but caught only one other pass in the first half. His 14 yard catch in the second quarter was also worth a fresh set of downs, and his other three targets were uncatchable, including a deep end zone target that was too deep and out of the back of the end zone.

His second half started well with an 18 yard catch, his longest of Week 12. His final three targets fell incomplete, but Muhammad had no real chance to make a play on any of those passes.

WR Mark Bradley, Rec: 1 - 15 - 0 (1 targets)

Bradley was relegated to the third (or possibly fourth) receiver on the depth chart as WR Bernard Berrian and Muhsin Muhammad started against the Patriots in Week 12. He caught his only target for 15 yards and a first down in the first quarter.

WR Rashied Davis, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (3 targets)

Davis had three targets, starting with a throw that was not very close as QB Rex Grossman was under pressure and was mostly throwing the ball away. Davis remained quiet until the fourth quarter, where he caught his only pass for three yards, then was the intended receiver deep down the field late when DB Asante Samuel intercepted Grossman for the third time.

TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 2 - 14 - 0 (5 targets)

Clark had five passes come towards him, and he started by grabbing two of the first three. Both catches were for short yardage – nine yards in the first and five more in the second, but the first was good enough for a first down. Clark was also targeted on a 20+ yard pass inside the New England ten, but DB Asante Samuel stepped in front for his second interception of the game.

TE John Gilmore, Rec: 2 - 5 - 0 (3 targets)

Gilmore caught two passes in the second quarter for a grand total of five yards. He grabbed a short pass on a busted flea flicker play and then added his second short catch just before the half. He had but one more target, but it was uncatchable and never came near him as it was batted down and away by the Patriots’ defensive line.

PK Robbie Gould 2 - 3 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 7 points

Gould missed a 45 yard field goal in the first half, his first miss in 27 tries. The miss came right after making a 40 yard kick but was called back due to a penalty. It broke Gould’s streak of 11 consecutive field goals from 40 yards or more. Gould corrected himself for later, as he added a 46 yarder before halftime along with a 32 yard kick in the fourth quarter. Gould finished with seven points, adding one extra point.

CHI Rush Defense

Running backs Corey Dillon, Laurence Maroney and FB Heath Miller combined for 81 yards on 27 tries, a meager three yard average. Maroney did manage to score once on the ground against a Bears defense that had only allowed three other rushing touchdowns this year, but both he and Dillon fumbled in a high turnover game. QB Tom Brady also scrambled twice for two important first downs in the final period.

CHI Pass Defense

Tom Brady passed for 269 yards and a touchdown, completing passes to seven different Patriots. New England mixed short passes to the running backs with a few deeper throws for a balanced attack that allowed the Patriots to gain over 300 yards despite three turnovers on passing plays (two interceptions, one fumble).

QB Tom Brady, Pass: 22 - 33 - 269 - 1 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 6 - 12 - 0

Brady threw for over 250 yards and also a touchdown to his main target TE Ben Watson. He connected with seven different receivers including Watson and RB Kevin Faulk six times apiece. Brady completed six passes of 20 yards or more, two to WR Reche Caldwell. Brady mixed the deeper pass well with short passes to his running backs, connecting with Faulk, RB Corey Dillon and RB Laurence Maroney 11 times for 85 combined yards.

Brady’s 269 yards passing helped New England to gain over 300 yards, which was significant as it was the first time that Chicago yielded 300 or more yards to an opponent all season. Brady did turn the ball over twice with two interceptions, but both came on deflections or tipped passes rather than errant throws. His touchdown pass to TE Ben Watson gave Brady 20 touchdown passes this season, his fifth straight year with 20 touchdown passes.

Brady also contributed on the ground, something rather uncharacteristic for him. He ran twice for important first downs in the fourth quarter to keep a drive alive, which resulted in the game winning touchdown to Watson.

RB Laurence Maroney, Rush: 13 - 33 - 1, Rec: 4 - 45 - 0 (4 targets)

Maroney had a modest game carrying the ball, rushing 13 times but for just 33 yards. All but two of his carries were for three yards or less. Maroney fumbled the ball to the Bears on his final first quarter carry inside of the Bears’ 15 yard line.

Maroney started to atone for the fumble by rushing five more times, including a one yard touchdown score in the second quarter. He had just three more carries and six yards in the second half as a runner. He was involved, however, in the passing game. Maroney caught four passes, including two for 21 total yards and first downs before halftime. His final catch came in the third quarter where he ran a post route out of the backfield and ran the catch for 20 total yards gained on the play.

RB Corey Dillon, Rush: 11 - 40 - 0, Rec: 1 - 3 - 0 (1 targets)

Dillon broke off a nice run early, rushing for 26 yards and a first down on his third carry for Week 12. Dillon was very quiet after that run, however, gaining only three yards on five tries in the second and third quarters.

Dillon added three carries in the final period, including his final one where he gained three yards but lost the ball over to the Bears with only two minutes left in the game. Dillon was attempting to pick up a first down to end the game. Fortunately for the Patriots, Chicago turned the ball back over on the next play via an interception.

Dillon added just one catch for three yards in the second quarter. It was his only target for Week 12.

RB Kevin Faulk, Rec: 6 - 37 - 0 (6 targets)

Faulk was used exclusively as a receiver, catching six passes for a combined 37 yards out of the backfield. Faulk caught four passes (two for a first down) in the second quarter and added two more in the second half, including his longest catch of nine yards. Faulk caught all six of his targets.

RB Heath Evans, Rush: 3 - 8 - 0

Evans was given three carries in the second half as a change of pace for the offense. He gained zero yards on his first try but later added six and then finally two yards in the fourth quarter.

WR Reche Caldwell, Rec: 3 - 57 - 0 (5 targets)

Caldwell caught all of his final four targets in Week 12, or at least that is what many thought. After catching a 15 yard out for a first down in the second quarter, Caldwell appeared to make a 10 yard diving catch but the play was reviewed and ruled incomplete. Caldwell was quiet until the fourth quarter, where he contributed significantly with a 22 yard catch for a first down and then a five yard catch that he ran for 15 more yards after the reception.

Caldwell also recovered a fumbled catch by TE Ben Watson, but he failed to secure it and fumbled the ball just a few moments later back to the Bears.

WR Chad Jackson, Rush: 1 - -8 - 0 (2 targets)

Jackson had two targets in Week 12. He was led deep by a 35 yard pass from QB Tom Brady that would have been good for an easy 57 yard touchdown, but Jackson dropped the catch. He also was unable to snare a 30 yard toss in the third quarter as he was very closely defended by CB Charles Tillman. Instead, Jackson had to accept that a failed double reverse in the fourth quarter that cost the Patriots eight yards would be his only entry in the game book against New England.

WR Troy Brown, Rec: 1 - 13 - 0 (2 targets)

Brown caught one pass for 13 yards and a first down in the opening period. He was also the intended receiver of a pass that was tipped into the hands of Chicago CB Charles Tillman. That was his final target of the day.

Brown continued to contribute throughout the game, playing on defense as an extra defensive back.

TE Ben Watson, Rec: 6 - 89 - 1 (11 targets)

Watson was once again QB Tom Brady’s favorite target, getting 11 passes thrown in his direction. His first half was rather forgettable, as he caught just a ten yard pass in the first quarter followed by a nine yard reception in the second period. Watson also was the intended receiver of a pass at the Chicago three yard line in the first quarter, but Watson, the ball, and the Bears’ DB Todd Johnson converged to knock the ball up in the air. It came down in the waiting hands of CB Charles Tillman for an interception. His final target of the first half appeared to be a 27 yard catch but it was overturned via instant replay.

Watson’s adventures continued after the half, as he caught a 23 yard catch but fumbled. WR Reche Caldwell scooped it up before fumbling that as well as the Bears took over possession. Watson finished strong with three catches in the fourth quarter, highlighted by a deep 40 yard catch and also a short two yard diving touchdown catch that gave New England a late 17-10 lead.

TE Daniel Graham, Rec: 1 - 25 - 0 (1 targets)

Graham caught one pass for 25 yards in the second quarter on a leaping grab down the seam. It was his only target in Week 12.

PK Stephen Gostkowski 1 - 1 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 5 points

Gostkowski kicked two extra points and one field goal of 52 yards just before halftime. The kick was his first NFL field goal attempt from over 50 yards. Despite missing his first attempt at it (the play did not count as Chicago called a timeout), Gostkowski managed to just get the ball over and through the uprights.

NE Rush Defense

Chicago ran for over 150 yards as a team and collected their lone touchdown on the ground. RB Thomas Jones was one yard shy of 100 yards and RB Cedric Benson added 48 more yards and the touchdown as the Bears moved the ball more effectively on the ground than in the air.

NE Pass Defense

CB Asante Samuel collected three interceptions as the Patriots’ defense held the Bears to under 200 yards passing. QB Rex Grossman completed less than half of his attempts and failed to throw a touchdown pass, as he was consistently pressured in the pocket despite the Patriots collecting only one sack. DE Richard Seymour led the front seven for the Patriots with the sack and also the recovery of Grossman’s red zone fumble.