Chicago Bears hit new low with loss to New England Patriots. Here’s what went wrong.

CHICAGO – The Bears and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams couldn’t score a touchdown for a second straight week Sunday at Soldier Field in a 19-3 loss to the tied for league-worst New England Patriots. Here’s what you need to know.

Three moments that mattered

1. Final shot: The Bears’s final offensive drive was a microcosm of what went wrong Sunday. Trailing 19-3 with with 2:17 left in the game, Williams was sacked twice and couldn’t gain momentum. The final play of the drive was a 8-yard pass to wide receiver Rome Odunze, which was short of the first down and sealed the win for the Patriots.

2. Failed effort: Facing a 16-3 deficit with five minutes left in the game, the Bears needed to get five yards from the Patriots 49-yard line on fourth down. On their first try, wide receiver Keenan Allen was called for a false start, the team’s second penalty of the drive. Then Williams was pressured and couldn’t complete a pass. The failed attempt led to fans chanting “Fire Flus,” referencing Bears coach Matt Eberflus.

3. First strike: The Patriots tallied Sunday’s first touchdown in a game where it seemed one score might be all it takes to win. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye completed a 2-yard pass to Ja’Lynn Polk to give his team a 10-3 lead with 7:21 left in the second quarter. The score capped a 70-yard drive for the Patriots where Maye completed four passes to move his team down the field.

Three things that worked

1. Staying consistent: The defense continued its impressive stretch of forcing turnovers this season. Linebacker T.J. Edwards intercepted his first pass of the season on a throw from Maye that went straight to him with 39 seconds left in the first quarter. The Bears have now created at least one turnover in eight games this year.

2. Sneaky performance: On top of his first interception of the season, Edwards put together another strong performance in the middle of the Bears defense and was consistently swarming the ball. He finished with 13 total tackles as well as a pass defended. Edwards leads the team with 73 total tackles after leading the Bears with 155 last year.

3. Red zone defense: Despite giving up a touchdown, the Bears defense held the Patriots to field goals on a few trips into the red zone. The Patriots converted on one of their five trips into the red zone. Patriots kicker Joey Slyle made four field goals to get his team on the board. The Bears entered Sunday’s game with the third-best red zone defense in the NFL.

Three things that didn’t

1. Getting into the end zone: The Bears continued their offensive struggles with getting into the end zone since their Week 7 bye. After looking good in three game heading into the bye, the Bears have only scored twice offensively in the last three games. The Bears offense hasn’t scored on 23 straight possessions and failed to score a touchdown for a second straight game.

2. Protecting Caleb: Whether it was poor offensive line protection or Williams holding on to the ball for too long, too many drives ended or stalled because of a sack. The Patriots constantly created pressure around Williams and sacked him nine times and also landed 12 quarterback hits. Four of those sacks came on third down, forcing the Bears to punt.

3. Delayed offensive start: Once again, the Bears offense failed to gain any momentum in the first quarter. The unit gained 23 yards on 11 plays in the first quarter while the Bears’ opponent took the first lead of the game for the ninth time this season. The Bears have now only scored one offensive touchdown in the first quarter this season, which came against the Carolina Panthers in Week 5.

What’s next?

The Bears will play their first NFC North game of the season when they host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at Soldier Field.