The New England Patriots (4-3) head into Week 8 at the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Nov. 1, after a 30-24 Thursday night loss to the Chicago Bears on Oct. 22 that ended a three-game winning streak. Kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, is 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS, with radio on 98.5 The Sports Hub, according to the Patriots’ official game preview.
Patriots vs. Bears recap: Maye throws for 321 yards in 30-24 loss
Drake Maye completed 24 of 31 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns at Soldier Field, according to the Associated Press recap published by ESPN. He also ran 7 yards for New England’s first touchdown with 11:33 left in the first half. The costly play was an interception in the end zone late in the second quarter: Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson picked off a pass intended for rookie tight end Eli Raridon. “I wish I definitely had that one back,” Maye said after the game.
Chicago led 10-0 after one quarter and 20-7 after Luther Burden III’s 24-yard screen-pass touchdown with 14 seconds left in the half. The Patriots answered on the final play of the half when running back Rhamondre Stevenson slipped out of the backfield for a 48-yard touchdown catch, cutting the deficit to 20-14. Raridon added a 30-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-33 passing. Burden had four catches for 130 yards, and tight end Colston Loveland caught a 12-yard touchdown. Cairo Santos kicked a 58-yard field goal with 1:34 left, matching the Bears’ franchise record. Andy Borregales answered with a 47-yard field goal with 37 seconds left, but Chicago recovered the onside kick. The crowd at Soldier Field was 60,520.
“He gave us a chance,” head coach Mike Vrabel said of Maye. “I’m glad he’s ours.” Speaking on WEEI on Oct. 26, Vrabel said the team “weren’t good enough in all three phases,” according to the Patriots’ video of the interview.
Key Patriots stats through seven games
Stevenson finished the Bears game with five catches for 93 yards, a career high in receiving yards, the Boston Globe reported. Tight end Hunter Henry caught all seven of his targets for 71 yards, and Raridon caught three of four for 56 yards. The running backs combined for just 44 rushing yards, and the wide receivers combined for seven catches. According to NFL Next Gen Stats cited by the Globe, Chicago pressured Maye on 42.9% of his dropbacks, and he completed 11 of 12 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown on those plays.
Season leaders listed on Sports Illustrated’s game page: Maye has 1,784 passing yards and 13 touchdown passes, Stevenson leads the team with 285 rushing yards, and Henry leads in catches (26) and receiving yards (296). DeMario Douglas has a team-high three touchdown catches. On defense, linebacker Christian Elliss leads with 51 tackles, and Elijah Ponder has 5.5 sacks. During the three-game win streak before Chicago, Maye threw 10 touchdown passes and one interception, according to the AP.
AFC East standings
After Week 7, the Buffalo Bills lead the AFC East at 5-1. New England is second at 4-3, the New York Jets are 2-5 and Miami is 1-5. The Patriots are 2-0 in the division, with a 29-26 win at Buffalo on Oct. 4 and a 26-19 home win over the Jets on Oct. 18, according to the team’s preview. A win in Miami would make them 3-0 against AFC East opponents. For the full slate of New York matchups this season, see our Boston vs. New York rivalry schedule.
Patriots injury report: offensive line and cornerback depth
Both starting guards, Mike Onwenu (ankle) and Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring), are on injured reserve, the Globe reported. Guard Greg Van Roten, out since a thigh injury in Week 3, is now eligible to be activated from injured reserve. The Patriots’ official injury page lists center Ben Brown (knee) and cornerbacks Carlton Davis III (neck), Channing Canada (hamstring) and Karon Prunty (hamstring) as out. It lists tackle Morgan Moses (foot), safeties Kevin Byard (chest) and Craig Woodson (shoulder), linebacker Christian Elliss (chest) and cornerback Christian Gonzalez (illness) as questionable. Maye (right shoulder), wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) and running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) are listed as full participants. Against Chicago, defensive tackle Christian Barmore left late in the game, according to the AP.
The roster crunch has already forced moves. Earlier this week the team released punter Bryce Baringer as injured reserve spots ran short.
Next opponent: Miami Dolphins (1-5)
Miami got its first win of the season on Oct. 25, beating the Jets 28-25 at MetLife Stadium coming off a bye. It was the first win for coach Jeff Hafley. Quarterback Malik Willis went 14 of 21 for 208 yards and two touchdowns, both to rookie wide receiver Caleb Douglas, including a 63-yard score, and ran for another touchdown. Running back Ollie Gordon II rushed for 103 yards. Willis sealed the game with a 2-yard run on fourth-and-1 at the two-minute warning.
Before that win, Miami had lost to San Francisco (35-13), Kansas City (24-10), Minnesota (15-10) and Cincinnati (31-24), according to ESPN. Running back De’Von Achane is on injured reserve with a torn ACL. Running back Jaylen Wright left the Jets game with a quadriceps injury, and safety Dante Trader Jr. hurt his left shoulder.
The Patriots swept Miami last season, winning 33-27 in Miami on Sept. 14, 2025, and 38-10 at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 4, 2026. Miami leads the all-time series 64-57, including playoffs, and New England is 18-43 on the road against the Dolphins. The teams meet again in the regular-season finale in Foxborough, on a date not yet announced.
How to watch Patriots at Dolphins
- When: Sunday, Nov. 1, 4:25 p.m. ET
- Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- TV: CBS
- Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub
Sources
- ESPN/AP: Bears 30, Patriots 24 recap (Oct. 22, 2026)
- Patriots.com: Week 8 game preview, Patriots at Dolphins
- Patriots.com: Official injury report
- Boston Globe: Patriots stock watch before the Dolphins
- ESPN/AP: Dolphins 28, Jets 25 recap (Oct. 25, 2026)
Additional sources
- Sports Illustrated: Patriots vs. Dolphins game page and season leaders
- ESPN: Patriots vs. Dolphins game page, Dolphins results and injuries
- Patriots.com: Mike Vrabel on WEEI, Oct. 26
- NFL.com: 2026 Miami Dolphins schedule
Read next in Boston
Most read this week
- Boston Approves $31.5M in Tax Abatements to Restart 1,400 Homes
- Boston City Council Asks Congress to Restore Public Housing Funds
- Iran War Update Oct. 25: Trump Says U.S. ‘May Do Another Little Epic Fury’
- Keen Sword 27 Begins: U.S. and Japan Open Island Defense Drills Near Taiwan
- Strait of Hormuz Insurance Rates Explained: What War-Risk Cover Costs in 2026
Latest
- Israel Election 2026: Final Polls, Coalition Math and What Happens Next
- Hyatt Regency Rochester Plans $16.1M Renovation as Two Downtown Rochester, NY Hotels Sit Closed
- Phoenix Tailings Picks Rochester, NY for $375 Million Rare Earth Plant at Eastman Business Park
- More Than 1,000 Mathematicians Pledge to Keep AI Out of Their Research
- Noah Wyle of ‘The Pitt’ Is People’s 2026 Sexiest Man Alive