Patriots close first half of Thursday Night Football with Rhamondre Stevenson TD thanks to bizarre misfire by Bears coverage
The Chicago Bears had a pretty good first half on Thursday night until there were three seconds left on the clock.
A last-gasp play by the New England Patriots resulted in a 48-yard receiving touchdown for running back Rhamondre Stevenson, whom the Bears left unchecked out of the backfield. Quarterback Drake Maye quickly found Stevenson, who had a blocker and dozens of yards of open field in front of him.
Even when Stevenson had the ball, the Bears' deep coverage should have been able to bring him down. However, a bad angle by cornerback Jaylon Johnson, a friendly fire collision between defensive backs Dillon Thieneman and Kyler Gordon, and a lack of speed from behind by cornerback Cam Lewis turned a four-on-two disadvantage into a winning play for New England.
This is not stuff you often see from an NFL defense.
"CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS?!"
- NFL on Prime Video (@NFLonPrime) October 23, 2026
What a crazy ending to the first half
Watch Patriots vs. Bears live now on @PrimeVideopic.twitter.com/eeg5XQ16kR
The play doesn't get much better when viewed from a dots perspective.
Rhamondre Stevenson's 48-yard TD reception as time expired in the first half more than doubled the Patriots' win probability, from 10.2% to 24.5%.
- Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 23, 2026
Stevenson gained 47 yards after the catch, +23 YAC over expected. He had just a 4.3% chance of scoring.@NEvsCHI | #NEPatspic.twitter.com/9h9YBz8DTI
Up to that point, the Bears had reason to feel good, with touchdowns by Luther Burden III and D'Andre Swift, plus a pair of Cairo Santos field goals, giving them the lead. Before that fateful play, they had outgained New England 217-179.
Momentum carries you only so far in the NFL, though.