Chicago Bears: Three culprits to blame in loss to Patriots

#1: Bears special teams

It goes without saying that the special teams unit of any NFL team can make a huge impact on a game when they break off big plays. They can also cost the team dearly with mistakes. The Bears special teams unit is the most to blame in this loss to the Patriots in my opinion. They allowed the Patriots to score two touchdowns, one on a kickoff return and one off a blocked punt.

It’s inexcusable for a special teams unit to allow one return touchdown in a game. It can really swing momentum, and that’s exactly what happened when Cordarrelle Patterson took a Bears kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. The return came just after the Bears had scored a touchdown of their own to go up 17-7 in the second quarter.

This return cost the Bears a lot of momentum as they had just punched the ball into the end zone on a short field after a Patriots fumble. After a terrible three-and-out by the Bears offense, the Patriots went on a 12-play drive to score a touchdown and go up 21-17. The special teams unit wasn’t done making mistakes.

With the game tied at 24 in the third quarter, the Bears were forced to punt it away around midfield. The Patriots blocked the punt and returned it for a touchdown to go up 31-24. They eventually added a touchdown to go up 38-24. Although the Bears got close to coming back, the blocked punt was a backbreaker. It shows how crucial special teams can be in the NFL.