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Brady passes for 5 TDs, Pats rout Bears

Oct 26, 2014 - 10:20 PM Foxboro, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Tom Brady threw touchdown passes on five of New England's first six drives as the Patriots posted a 51-23 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Brady was 30-of-35 for 354 yards in his best performance of the season.

Rob Gronkowski had 149 yards on nine receptions and caught three of Brady's touchdown passes. Gronkowski left in the third quarter and didn't return due to dehydration.

Brandon LaFell set career-highs with 11 receptions and 124 receiving yards and had a touchdown grab for New England (6-2), which won its fourth straight game and extended its home winning streak to 13 games.

The Patriots scored three touchdowns in a 57-second span during a 31-point second quarter.

"It was good to see the whole team ready to go, playing with that kind of energy and execution," said New England coach Bill Belichick. "It was a pretty good day for us out there today. We'll have to turn this one around quickly and get ready for Denver next week."

Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler completed 20-of-30 passes for 227 yards with three touchdowns (two coming with the outcome already decided) and committed a pair turnovers.

Matt Forte had 114 yards on 19 carries and caught a touchdown pass for the Bears (3-5), who lost for the fourth time in five games.

"We lost today. We got beat by a really good football team, we have a whole half a season to play and we are going to go back tomorrow and start over. And address every situation that we have and all aspects of our football team," said Chicago coach Marc Trestman.

New England began its first drive at its own 45. After a 19-yard reception by LaFell on first down, Jonas Gray racked up 30 yards on three consecutive carries and Brady then gave the Patriots an early lead with his 6-yard TD pass to Gronkowski.

It was the 46th time Brady hooked up with Gronkowski for a touchdown, breaking the record of 45 they shared with by Drew Bledsoe and Ben Coates.

The Bears made a goal-line stand to end the first quarter, but the Patriots reversed course by bringing the offense back onto the field at the outset of the second.

They were bailed out by a false start penalty after Gray was stopped for a loss. Stephen Gostkowski returned to kick a 23-yard field goal, capping the 17-play drive.

Chicago then found itself in a 17-0 hole after Tim Wright caught a 1-yard TD pass.

A 25-yard touchdown grab by Forte gave the Bears a boost, but the Patriots marched 80 yards in 10 plays against an exhausted Chicago defense to go up 24-7. Brady found Gronkowski for a 2-yard TD with 1:52 remaining in the first half.

The Bears then went three-and-out, and a 42-yard Julian Edelman punt return set up Brady's 9-yard TD pass to LaFell.

Things only got worse for the Bears.

On the first play of their next series, Cutler fumbled while under pressure. Rob Ninkovich made the recovery and scored on a 15-yard return with 55 seconds left.

The first half ended with Darrelle Revis picking off Cutler.

Despite the sizeable lead, the Patriots came out throwing to begin the third quarter. Gronkowski shrugged aside a Chicago player on his 46-yard touchdown.

Martellus Bennett provided a highlight for Chicago later in the third, catching a pass in the end zone while falling on his back.

Gostkowski made a pair of field goals around an Alshon Jeffery TD grab in the fourth quarter.

Game Notes

The Patriots won their 13th straight game against an NFC North team and improved to 9-3 versus Chicago in the regular season ... The Bears fell to 0-4 all-time on the road against the Patriots ... Brady made his 100th regular- season start at home ... Gray rushed 17 times for 86 yards ... Wright caught seven passes for 61 yards ... Bennett finished with 95 yards on six receptions.