FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Bears’ big personnel change lasted less than one quarter.
Just minutes after Lucas Patrick made his first start of the season at center Monday night, he limped off the field and was eventually carted to the Bears’ locker room with a toe injury.
During the extra time afforded them in the “mini-bye,” the Bears decided to replace Sam Mustipher with Patrick, who was signed to play center but was limited to both guard positions after hurting his thumb in training camp. Orland Park native Michael Schofield replaced Patrick at left guard for the Patriots game.
Mustipher, though, came on in Patrick’s place in the first quarter before the Bears scored a touchdown on Justin Fields’ 3-yard touchdown run.
Before the game, general manager Ryan Poles said that Patrick had “done nice things for the culture of our offensive line” since the Bears gave him a two-year, $8 million deal to leave the rival Packers in March.
Patrick admitted last week that he’d been struggling, though. He didn’t blame the challenges of moving back and forth between the two guard spots, but said it didn’t help his performance, either.
“I personally have to be better for this team,” he said. “What I was brought in here to do and perform … I haven’t been playing to my standards, point-blank.”
Hot hand?
Head coach Matt Eberflus’ insistence last week that the Bears would hand the ball off to the “hot hand” doesn’t mean there’s been any change in Poles’ opinion of David Montgomery.
“I think David has run really, really well — he runs hard,” Poles said. “One of my favorite players on the team, just how he approaches the game and attacks it on Sundays and gamedays.
“I think [Eberflus] is just speaking on guys who are getting hot. Like, ‘Why not continue to get him the ball?’”
That’s worth considering as the Nov. 1. trade deadline creeps near. Montgomery is in the last year of his contract and, in theory, an attractive option for running back-hungry teams. The Bears, though, see value in surrounding Fields with stability the rest of the year.
Harry debuts
Patriots fans welcomed N’Keal Harry back the best way they knew how — by booing the receiver when he made his first catch of the year.
Harry was considered a disappointment during his first three years with the Patriots after they picked him with the last selection of the first round in 2019. He totaled just 57 catches, demanded a trade in at least twice and was dealt to the Bears for a 2023 seventh-round pick in July.
Harry suffered a high-ankle sprain during training camp, returned to practice earlier this month and made his active-roster debut Monday.
Jones punted
As expected, Velus Jones was stripped of his punt return duties following his fourth-quarter muff against the Commanders. It was the second such bobble of a punt in three games for the rookie.
The Bears turned to veteran receiver Dante Pettis, who returned two punts over the team’s first three games, to start the game. Jones played receiver and, along with Herbert, returned kickoffs.
