Bears vs. Patriots: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2016 Preseason

The New England Patriots and Chicago Bears clashed at Gillette Stadium in preseason action Thursday night, and the AFC title hopefuls bested the NFC North up-and-comers, 23-22, thanks to a first-half scoring surge that allowed them to withstand a late run from the opposition.

Tom Brady, who was expected to play, was reportedly in uniform shortly before kickoff, but NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport (via NFL.com’s Marc Sessler) reported the four-time Super Bowl champion was pulled after slicing his thumb on a pair of scissors.

“An accident occurred, and Tom will be OK in time,” agent Don Yee told Rapoport.

With Brady out, interim starter Jimmy Garoppolo was tasked with leading the Patriots offense for the entire first half. He completed 16 of 21 passes for 181 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in what amounted to a fine performance, per CSN New England’s Phil Perry: 

Looks like Garoppolo’s night is over. He completed 10 of his last 13 passes. Last one should’ve been picked, but a good night overall.

— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) August 19, 2016

On the flip side, the Bears first-team offense looked light years ahead of where it was last week against the Denver Broncos.

Quarterback Jay Cutler was poised and efficient throughout the contest, completing eight of 12 passes for 83 yards before backup Brian Hoyer replaced him.

While Cutler didn’t throw for a score, he did help lead a first-quarter scoring drive that Jeremy Langford punctuated with a five-yard touchdown run. 

Speaking of Langord, the Bears tailback looked like a potential workhorse in limited action. During his brief first-half playing time, he accumulated 51 yards and a score on eight carries to go with one catch for eight yards.

Yahoo Sports fantasy football guru Brad Evans broke down why Langford could be a breakout star in 2016 based on his efforts Thursday night: 

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