The final play of the first half between the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears on “Thursday Night Football” was the definition of: “What in the world did we just watch?”
After Luther Burden III scored for the Bears on third-and-17 near the red zone, Chicago went up 20-7 in the waning seconds of the second quarter. With the Bears getting the ball to start the third quarter, it would’ve been the perfect ending to the first half at home.
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Keyword “would’ve.”
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Rhamondre Stevenson of the New England Patriots runs with the ball to score a touchdown during the second quarter of an NFL game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Oct. 22, 2026, in Chicago, Ill. (Getty Images)
The Patriots took over with just 14 seconds left to play, but quarterback Drake Maye didn’t just kneel the clock out and head to the locker room. Instead, the Patriots were going to at least take a shot to get some points back before going to halftime.
After A.J. Brown hauled in his first catch of the night for 18 yards, the Patriots were near midfield for what should’ve been a Hail Mary attempt. But when Maye dumped the ball off to running back Rhamondre Stevenson, it seemed no points were coming the Patriots way in the end.
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But Stevenson found some space and waited for his teammates to make a couple of blocks. Then, the Bears defenders, who didn’t seem to have urgency to bring Stevenson down, over-pursued the veteran back, and he found a crease toward the end zone.
Stevenson sprinted into the end zone for a 48-yard score as the clock expired, shocking the entire Soldier Field crowd as the Bears were only up 20-14.
Rhamondre Stevenson of the New England Patriots runs the ball during the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Oct. 22, 2026, in Chicago, Ill. (Getty Images)
NextGenStats found that Stevenson only had a 4.3% chance of scoring once the ball hit his hands.
We’ll see if this miraculous touchdown will come back to haunt the Bears, who are playing their first home game since the passing of legendary coach Mike Ditka. The night began with a moment of silence for the Super Bowl-winning coach, while fans were given fake mustaches to replicate his iconic look.
Rhamondre Stevenson #38 of the New England Patriots celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Oct. 22, 2026, in Chicago, Ill. (Getty Images)
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But the Patriots came into this road game in primetime hoping to keep their momentum going, as they have now won three straight games.
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