Rome Odunze spent most of Thursday night with an offensive pass interference penalty hanging over him. He finished it with three fourth-quarter catches, the onside-kick recovery that ended the game and a game ball from Ben Johnson as the Chicago Bears beat the New England Patriots 30-24.
The third-year receiver caught four passes for 69 yards on five targets at Soldier Field. Three of those receptions came in the final quarter, each for 21 yards, and the most important arrived on third-and-9 with the Bears pinned near their own goal line and protecting a six-point lead with about five minutes to go.
Caleb Williams gave Rome Odunze some encouraging words after his penalty, and Rome responded in a major way 🗣️@insidethenfl Week 7 Mic'd Up on X pic.twitter.com/O786FAuTAv
— NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2026
From the flag to the catch
The penalty came in the second quarter, when Odunze pushed off in the end zone and Chicago had to settle for a 31-yard Cairo Santos field goal. Caleb Williams told him on the sideline that the ball would come back his way.
It did on the late third down. Odunze ran from the right side toward the middle and reached back across his body for a throw that went between defenders, keeping the drive and the clock alive. “For me, I’m always going to shake back, and that was my opportunity to do so,” Odunze said afterward, calling the grab his way of coming back to life after the earlier mistake.
He played down the difficulty, saying it simply felt like a catch he had to make. Two snaps later Williams found him again on second-and-12 to move the ball to midfield, and that possession ended with Santos’ 58-yard field goal.
Closing it out
When New England kicked a 47-yard field goal with 37 seconds left to make it 30-24, Chicago put Odunze on the hands team. He secured the onside kick, and the Bears ran out the clock.
Odunze secures the onside kick, and the game!
BEARS WIN. pic.twitter.com/hXtCZQxhiD
— NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2026
Johnson handed out four game balls in the locker room and singled out Odunze as the player who closed the game. Odunze framed the win as proof of what the 5-2 Bears think of themselves rather than a message to anyone else.
“We’re not going out there trying to prove any team wrong. We’re just trying to prove our team right,” he said, adding that the group sees itself as a Super Bowl contender.
The rest of the night
Williams completed 22 of 33 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Luther Burden III did his damage early, with 130 yards on four catches, and Colston Loveland led the team with seven receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown. Chicago has won four of its last five. Every number is in the Game Center, and the recap covers the full game.
What comes next
The Bears visit the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, November 2, at 8:15 p.m. EST.
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