Maye emerging as Patriots leader

Pharms finished with five tackles with three coming in the backfield. He and Keion White were active along the front and consistently ran down Swift when the Bears tried to test the edges of what had been a leaky run defense. Covington’s adjustments resulted in a more aggressive approach, and it left the Bears searching for answers with just 142 total yards and three points on the afternoon.

The idea of giving more reps to younger players at this stage of the season makes perfect sense. At 3-7, the Patriots don’t figure to be part of the postseason race and therefore could benefit from getting some experience for as many young players as possible.

So, it was a bit surprising to see Kendrick Bourne not get a single snap while K.J. Osborn was on the field for 29 plays, which represented 45 percent of the snaps. Sitting Bourne for Ja’Lynn Polk, Javon Baker or even Tyquan Thornton – all of whom are under contract for next season – makes some sense. Sitting him for Osborn, who is finishing up his one-year deal in New England, doesn’t, especially considering Bourne has two years remaining on the deal he signed during the offseason to stay in Foxborough.

Not sure what went into that decision, but it should be noted that both Osborn and Bourne showed no signs of discontent while dealing with limited playing time.

Mac Jones got his first start with his new team, and it went much like many of his days went with his old team. Jones struggled throughout the Jags 12-7 loss to Minnesota, passing for just 111 yards with no touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. The former Pats quarterback did rush for a touchdown but was otherwise ineffective in replacing Jacksonville starter Trevor Lawrence in a game that was quite winnable due to the erratic play of Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, who tossed three picks of his own.

I often find teams to be more impressive when they win when playing well below their…