What started out looking like a repeat of every Monday Night Football game with seven weeks of slow scoring, boring plays, injuries, and disappointment ended with peaks and valleys in Week 7 of NFL football.
MNF Game Recap
The Chicago Bears were the first to put points on the board with a successful field goal by Cairo Santos. That was followed by a three-yard run by Justin Fields, scoring a touchdown. The remainder of the first quarter was scoreless by either team and was on par to be another boring game.
It turned around in the second quarter as we watched defeat wash over the face of the returning Mac Jones as he threw a pick that was intended for Jonnu Smith.
Bailey Zappe came in to save the day, and three plays in, he threw a bomb to Jakobi Meyers. Literal goosebumps. I’m no Patriots fan (or non-fan), but watching the rain-drenched Patriots and Zappe put together the plays they needed to make this a game was amazing.
Meyers double-bounced off the field and reached for the end zone for the touchdown. He was uncovered and gave life to a lifeless Patriots team. Nick Folk kicked the extra point, and it felt like we were finally on a roll to some entertainment.
Before Zappe went three for three, Fields had the lone touchdown for either team.
As the ball was given back to the Bears, Fields ran again. After a handoff to David Montgomery, Chicago was third and five. Immediately afterward, Fields threw an interception, and it felt like all hope was lost for the Bears.
The Patriots marched back onto the field after a short respite. Zappe threw to Parker for a 43-yard completion, putting the Patriots just yards from the end zone.
All Patriots fans looking at Bill Belichick:
“Zappe Hour” – But Only For Four Minutes
The stadium was electric with this turnover in action, with six minutes left in the first half. What followed was an easy four-yard run and score by Rhamondre Stevenson. In a matter of a few minutes, it was looking like Zappe would be the starter moving forward. Two TDs in less than four minutes speak volumes.
At this point, I’m asking myself if I can wait to pee for the next six “football minutes” until halftime because I don’t want to miss anything.
Luckily the Bears were lackluster, the Patriots called a timeout, and my couch cushions were saved. *Side note — you cannot pause the game when watching through the NFL app. What is this? 1998?*
It was apparently clear that Justin Fields didn’t trust anyone because of his general refusal to throw or hand the ball off as he continued to be the leading rusher for the team.
Out of nowhere, Fields decided to throw the ball. The result was a significant turnaround for the Bears as Khalil Herbert caught a wobbler and ran the rock into the end zone for six. Now, this is a game.
As the half was coming to an end, Jakobi Meyers dropped the handoff from Zappe and fumbled the ball. The Bears recovered, and the flurry of activity that followed was almost dizzying.
The End of the First Half
First, with 1:31 left in the half, Matt Judon came out of nowhere and sacked Fields, giving himself 2.5 sacks on the season. That key play knocked the Bears out of field goal range. Somehow Fields picked up the first down and carried for 20 yards.
Next, Fields recovered his own dropped ball and set them back to second and 25 with 24 seconds left in the second.
Then Fields tried to be his own one-person team and rushed for nine yards.
Each team traded timeouts. After a quick rest and recovery, Fields connected with Mooney for the first down.
Lastly, with 11 seconds left and one timeout left, New England got the holding penalty, giving Chicago an automatic first down. Santos came out for a 23-yard field goal attempt, and it was good, making it a six-point game heading into the locker rooms at the half.
Plot Twist: The Conclusion of “Zappe Hour”
As we came back from halftime, there was a plot twist! Everyone assumed Bailey Zappe would be the quarterback for the remainder of the game. But it was Mac Jones lining up under center. Total head-scratcher.
Bill Belichick claimed that was the plan all along. Not a good plan, Bill.
It was absolutely perplexing. It was obvious that the air had been let out of the sails for the entire Patriots team. They were lifeless, and the energy was gone.
The third quarter was flameless until the Bears returned the ball for 27 yards. That was the pinnacle of excitement since each team returned to the field after a quick nap in the locker room. Santos was the only player to put points on the board and had two successful field goals.
The start of the fourth quarter belonged to the Bears, as they were up 26-14.
Montgomery struggled toward the end zone and muscled it through for the first. He tried again and made it to the half-goal line. Montgomery nabbed the TD on the next play to make it 32-14. Santos kicked the extra point and went up 33-14 to end the game.
Key Stats NFL Week 7
- Justin Fields: 13-21 for 179 yards, one touchdown and one interception
- Justin Fields (yes, this is correct): 14 rushes for 82 yards and one touchdown
- Darnell Mooney: Three receptions for 53 yards
- Bailey Zappe: 14-22 for 185 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions
- Rhamondre Stevenson: 11 rushes for 39 yards and one touchdown
- DeVante Parker: Three receptions for 68 yards
Takeaways NFL Week 7
The Bears scored 23 unanswered points and dominated the game.
The absolute WORST decision Bill Belichick could have made was to say that it was his plan all along to play both QBs throughout the game. That statement single-handedly took down his entire team. It was confusing and deflated Zappe’s performance and made this a very mental game.
Mac Jones seemed supportive on the sidelines as Zappe propelled the Patriots into contention, then Belichick bleeped it all up, and the whole team fell apart.
This is not to say that the Bears didn’t play to win because they absolutely did.
The Patriots Charlie-Browned it off the field with their hearts filled with disappointment and anger towards the Bill Belichick-led team.
That’s it for me this week. I’ll be back next week when the 4-3 Cincinnati Bengals take a four-hour drive to FirstEnergy Stadium to play the 2-5 Cleveland Browns. NFL Week 7 NFL Week 7 NFL Week 7.
