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: 

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 Langford, 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: 

In the receiving department, star wideout Alshon Jeffery hauled in two passes for 41 yards, including a 29-yard snag up the left sideline, as the NFL documented on Twitter: 

The MMQB's Albert Breer was impressed:

The Patriots first-team offense didn't move the ball as effectively through the air, but running back LeGarrette Blount showed improvement a week after rushing nine times for 20 yards and a touchdown. 

On Thursday, the burly back toted the rock 11 times for 69 yards, notching 6.3 yards per carry. He also burrowed through the line for a goal-line plunge, via the NFL's official Twitter account: 

Even though Blount was able to punch in a short-yardage score, the Patriots offense didn't look particularly potent in the red zone.

However, MassLive.com's Kevin Duffy noted New England should be in good hands when it has a full arsenal of weapons at its disposal in the regular season:

Considering Garoppolo was able to give the Patriots a 17-11 halftime lead that served as a springboard for the team's reserves, the reigning AFC East champions should be pleased with the way they battled back after falling behind 11-0 in the first quarter.

By virtue of the win, the Patriots are now 2-0 in preseason play. Chicago, though, dropped to 0-2 with the loss. 

The Bears will have a chance to enter the win column in Week 3 of the exhibition season, when they host the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 27. 

The Patriots, meanwhile, could move to 3-0 with a win over the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on Aug. 26. 

Postgame Reaction

While Brady reportedly injured his hand before the opening kickoff, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told reporters he was the one who decided to pull his star quarterback from the starting lineup. 

"I made the decision for (Brady) to not play tonight," he said, according to the Boston Herald's Jeff Howe. 

As for Garoppolo, the third-year signal-caller explained his mindset regarding the unexpected starting nod. 

"Coach always preaches you never know when you’re going to go in or when your [number] is going to be called," he said, per the Providence Journal's Mark Daniels. "You’ve got to be ready for it."

At the postgame podium, the Bears exuded optimism following a shutout at the hands of the reigning Super Bowl champions in Week 1 of the preseason.

"As a group, we're steadily progressing in the right way," Cutler said, per the Bears' official Twitter account.

"I thought we executed much better in all three phases," head coach John Fox added, according to the team's Twitter account.