Caleb Williams, Bears find just enough to hold off Pats

Caleb Williams found just enough magic on Thursday night to rescue the Chicago Bears, who held off the New England Patriots in a game they never trailed but never quite controlled.

There were times when the Bears' lead looked in serious jeopardy, but each time Williams produced the play his team needed on a night Chicago fans remembered Mike Ditka, with the Bears paying homage to their late legendary coach at the first home game since his death.

The decisive sequence came with 4:59 left: facing third-and-9 from his own 10-yard line, Williams fired a 21-yard pass to Rome Odunze to extend the drive. Cairo Santos then made it pay off with the longest field goal of his career.

Williams posted his second straight 300-yard passing game, finishing 22-of-33 for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Luther Burden III did all his damage in the first half, catching all four of his targets for 130 yards and a touchdown.

For New England, Drake Maye was 24-of-31 for 321 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, but the Patriots' three-game winning streak came to an end.

The win moved Chicago to 5-2, while New England fell to 4-3. The Bears' defense recorded multiple sacks for the seventh straight game, continuing one of the league's most productive pass rushes this season.