The win streak is dead, and it died in Chicago on Thursday night. A 30-24 loss to the Bears stings, but not because the Patriots played poorly across the board — they didn't. What hurts is that Mike Vrabel's squad had multiple chances to steal this game and couldn't close. That's on execution. That's on converting when it matters.
The clearest example? That drive down to the Bears 7-yard line in the second quarter. The offense finally found its rhythm after a sluggish start, moved the ball with purpose, and then... nothing. The Patriots got close enough to taste the end zone and walked away empty. In a game decided by six points, that's not a moral victory. That's a missed opportunity that haunts you in the film room on Friday morning.
This wasn't about Vrabel's scheme or playcalling suddenly breaking down. The issue is simpler and somehow worse: execution in critical moments. The gap between 6-1 and 5-2 is one game, sure, but it's also about how you lose it. Do you lose because the other team is better? Fine, move on. Do you lose because you beat yourself? That's a different animal entirely, and that's what Thursday felt like.
The Bears are a solid football team, but they're not so overwhelming that the Patriots should feel like they got outplayed. They got out-executed. They had their chances. On the road, in primetime, after a hot start to the season — this is exactly the kind of game a contender needs to win to separate itself from the middle of the pack. Vrabel knows this. The locker room knows this. And that's probably why the loss stings more than the record might suggest.
The streak ending was inevitable eventually. But the way it ended — leaving points on the field, failing to capitalize in the red zone — that's the part worth dwelling on. Because fixing that is the difference between playoff positioning and fighting for it down the stretch.
Based on reporting from Pats Pulpit.