Chicago Bears notes: Defense intercepts the Patriots 3 times in Bears win

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Bears head coach Matt Eberflus had a hunch that he might see both Patriots quarterbacks Monday.

It didn’t take long for Patriots coach Bill Belichick to make the switch from 2021 first-round draft pick Mac Jones to rookie fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe. The good news, for Eberflus is that the move appeared to be a reaction to the Bears’ defense flying around causing havoc for Jones.

Bears rookie safety Jaquan Brisker picked off Jones early in the second quarter with a high-flying, one-handed grab. The move instigated Belichick’s switch at quarterback. It proved to be the first of three interceptions for the Bears defense during Monday night’s win over the Patriots, 33-14.

Brisker snagged a looping pass from Jones that was intended for tight end Jonnu Smith. Brisker said he had “a lot of control” on his one-handed grab.

“It felt like a rebound from when I was playing basketball or something,” Brisker said. “I went up, grabbed it, I came down with it with one hand and tried to jump over the running back.”

The interception was the first of Brisker’s NFL career. Fellow rookie Kyler Gordon also had his first NFL interception. Gordon and veteran linebacker Roquan Smith both came down with interceptions in the second half against Zappe.

“That fosters confidence, the ability to take the ball away,” Eberflus said. “That’s a big part of winning football.”

Smith and Gordon both grabbed passes that were batted into the air. Zappe wound up finishing his night 14-for-22 passing for 185 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. When Belichick pulled Jones, Jones was 3-for-6 for 13 yards with an interception.

“It’s pretty sweet,” Smith said. “It’s like the old saying: They come in bunches. Just being able to get one after the other, it was pretty sweet.”

Mustipher’s return: The Bears benched center Sam Mustipher, who had started all 17 games last year and the first six games of this season at center. They moved veteran Lucas Patrick to center and started veteran backup Michael Schofield at left guard.

But Mustipher didn’t have to sit on the bench for long. Patrick left the game in the first half with a toe injury and did not return. Mustipher wound up finishing the game at center.

He called this week a “roller coaster.” Eberflus did not commit to anyone playing the center position moving forward, as that likely hinges on Patrick’s health.

“Initially you get (angry),” Mustipher said of his benching. “It stings. But the way that I was raised and the people that count on me, it was, ‘All right, what now? What’s next? How do I respond to this?’ That’s the same thing I’ve done my entire life.”

Mustipher said he understood why the team made a switch. He noted that he has struggled in pass protection against some of the better defensive tackles the Bears have faced.

“If I want to be who I say I am, I’ve got to be able to block those guys,” Mustipher said. “And that was the honest evaluation from myself.”

Pettis on punts: The Bears used receiver Dante Pettis on punt return. His 27-yard return in the second half helped set up the touchdown that pushed the Bears’ lead to three possessions.

Rookie Velus Jones lost the punt return job after fumbling on two key fourth-quarter punts in recent weeks.

Running back split: While Justin Fields had 14 rushing attempts, running backs David Montgomery (15 carries, 62 yards) and Khalil Herbert (12 carries, 62 yards) had a fairly even distribution of carries. Herbert also caught one pass.

Eberflus said this week that he would go with the hot hand at running back. That appeared to mean nearly equal touches for the backs.