Just good enough
Helped by big plays, Pats survive wild road test
CHICAGO — Really, there was no other way for this bizarre matchup between the Patriots and Bears to end.
A wild back-and-forth affair — complete with unbelievable highlight plays and uncharacteristic Patriots errors — came down to a Mitch Trubisky Hail Mary. He chucked it from the Chicago 37-yard line. A scrum gathered near the goal line as the ball arrived. Josh Gordon, the most athletic player on the team, leaped for the ball. He didn’t get there in time, and Bears receiver Kevin White extended over Jason McCourty to snatch it out of the air at the 2-yard line.
“That was scary,” said Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
“Crazy,” said New England safety Duron Harmon.
But Harmon stuck to his job on the play, staying on the ground despite the temptation to jump.
Here’s how Harmon explained it: Gordon, filling in for Rob Gronkowski, was assigned the role of “jumper.” He’s trying to bat the ball down. Cornerbacks covering receivers who weren’t targeted are simply boxing out their guys. And Harmon had the “deep tip” responsibilities. He’s back there in case the ball pops up, which it often does.
Or in case the receiver catches it short of the goal line.
As White turned his body to lunge toward the goal line, Harmon denied him. McCourty wrapped up White and pulled him back. A host of Pats converged to stuff White and finish off a strange — yet entertaining — 38-31 Patriots’ victory.
“The way it ended, you kind of don’t see that often,” Harmon said. “But good thing everybody did what they’re supposed to do.”
Yesterday’s performance was far from perfect for the Pats. But, like the last play, it was good enough.
The final tally of the ridiculousness: A Cordarrelle Patterson fumble, a Patterson 95-yard kickoff return touchdown, a season’s worth of rushing yards for Trubisky, a remarkable interception by Jonathan Jones, the team’s first blocked punt for a touchdown since 1996, a nasty-looking knee injury for rookie running back Sony Michel, and Gordon’s first 100-yard receiving game as a Patriot.
The severity of Michel’s knee injury is unknown. He got off to a fast start, but was knocked out of the game in the second quarter.
His left leg was twisted awkwardly as he was wrapped up by Bears defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, and he immediately dropped the ball. Michel needed the help of trainers to get off the field. After spending several minutes in the blue medical tent, he climbed onto a cart and was driven into the locker room.
Michel’s fumble was sandwiched between Patterson’s fumble and touchdown. Patterson jogged the final 20 yards of the return, and even took time to turn around and high-five teammate J.C. Jackson before he crossed the goal line.
The Pats survived 17 unanswered points by the Bears to grab a 21-17 lead at halftime. Their final score of the half, a 5-yard connection from Brady to James White, was set up by a leaping Gordon grab on a fourth-and-1. Brady had Gordon isolated against Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller on the perimeter, and he took his chances with the matchup. Gordon jumped over Fuller, pulled in the reception, and came crashing down hard. His helmet popped off, but he managed to retain possession for a gain of 19 yards.
Later, he jetted away from the secondary for a 55-yard gain in the fourth quarter, finally running out of gas near the goal line. White took a short shovel pass around the edge for a 2-yard touchdown two plays later.
Perhaps the play of the day was Dont’a Hightower’s blocked punt with 5:53 remaining in the third quarter. Hightower blasted through the middle of the Chicago line and swatted the ball down with ease. Half the Patriots defense was in position to scoop it up, and Kyle Van Noy finally secured it and raced 29 yards for a touchdown that broke a 24-24 tie.
Hightower steamrolled Bears tight end Ben Braunecker to make the play.
“I’m power, not a finesse guy,” Hightower said. “When I’m in there, I’m trying to play strong and tough and physical. That’s what it was.”
This was a mixed bag for the defense, which came up with two clutch interceptions — the first a Jackson pick late in the the third quarter, the next a terrific onehanded grab by Jones near the Pats goal line in the early fourth quarter.
“We had to match their turnovers,” Jones said.
There’s still a lot for this defense to clean up, but they’re encouraged by the 14 turnovers they’ve generated through seven games. At this time last year, they had eight takeaways.
“Opportunities are going to come, and that’s something we’re excited about,” Harmon said. “We’re moving at a lot better pace than we have been the last few years.”
Instead of going for the turnover on the final play, Harmon stayed put and stuck to his assignment.
“We have rules in each and every coverage that we have,” Harmon explained, “and if you follow the rules and do what you’re supposed to, more times than not the result will be what you want it to be.”
It was the case again yesterday, just barely.