In a season defined by collapses great and small, the Bears suffered perhaps their worst of all Sunday in a 33-30 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.
Their seventh straight loss came as a result of blowing a 27-6 lead that they held late in the third quarter and matched the second-longest losing streak in franchise history, tying the 1-13 Bears of 1969. Only the 1978 Bears, with eight straight losses, had a worse run.
“It seems like that’s what’s been going on for the whole year for us,” said defensive lineman Bryan Robinson. “I don’t know what mojo is working with the team, but it’s not a good one.”
This collapse was complete. With the Bears leading 30-25 with less than 3 minutes left, their offense could not pick up a first down on a drive that would have clinched the game. Brad Maynard’s 32-yard punt was returned to the New England 44-yard line.
The defense then took its turn letting victory slip away, unable to stop the Patriots (5-4) from driving for the winning score on a 20-yard pass from Brady to wide receiver David Patten with 28 seconds left.
“From the looks of it, the receiver’s foot was past the line [at the back of the end zone],” McQuarters said. “I thought the second foot was questionable. It looked half and half, and I guess it could have gone either way.”
But that play happened only after an apparent game-ending interception of a Brady pass by Robinson was overturned and was ruled an incomplete pass after an instant-replay review.
