Preview: Bears vs. Patriots · prediction, injury report, analysis
The Chicago Bears host the New England Patriots in Week 7 of the NFL season on Thursday Night Football, with kickoff at 8:15pm ET (7:15pm CT) at Soldier Field.
Both sides arrive at 4-2. Chicago sits third in the NFC North, while New England is second in the AFC East.
Match preview
The Bears (4-2) beat the Falcons 31-23 in Atlanta and carry a one-game winning streak. They lost 31-7 at Green Bay a week earlier and are 0-2 in the division, with defeats to the Vikings and Packers.
The offense averages 25.0 points per game and the defense allows 19.8. Chicago is 2-1 at home, with wins of 27-7 over the Eagles and 23-12 over the Jets.
Caleb Williams returned after missing three games with a hamstring injury. He went 30-of-36 for 305 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers. He leads the NFL with a 72.5% completion rate and has 712 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in three starts.
The ground game is the foundation. Chicago has 964 rushing yards, the most in the league, at 4.46 per carry. Protection is the soft spot, as Williams has been sacked nine times.
The Patriots (4-2) have won three in a row: 29-26 at Buffalo, 45-17 over the Raiders and 26-19 over the Jets. Before that run, they lost 35-6 at Jacksonville.
New England scores 22.7 points per game and allows 18.8. The Patriots are 1-2 on the road, 3-0 at home and 2-0 in the division. They have scored 100 points over the past three weeks, compared with 36 in the first three.
Drake Maye has 1,463 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season. Over the past three weeks he has 10 touchdown passes and one interception, after throwing six picks in the first three games, and he leads qualified quarterbacks with a 119.3 passer rating.
Recent history favors New England. The Patriots won 19-3 in Chicago on November 10, 2024, while the Bears took a 33-14 decision in Foxborough in October 2022. This is also a meeting of two 2024 draft quarterbacks, with Williams going first overall and Maye third.
Expect plenty of man coverage. Chicago uses it on 31.9% of snaps, the second-highest rate in the league, and Maye ranks near the bottom of the NFL in passer rating against it. It is a primetime Thursday game on a short week for both teams.
Chicago Bears · recent results
- WAtlanta Falcons 23-31 Chicago Bears
- LGreen Bay Packers 31-7 Chicago Bears
- WChicago Bears 23-12 New York Jets
- WChicago Bears 27-7 Philadelphia Eagles
- LChicago Bears 3-9 Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots · recent results
- WNew England Patriots 26-19 New York Jets
- WNew England Patriots 45-17 Las Vegas Raiders
- WBuffalo Bills 26-29 New England Patriots
- LJacksonville Jaguars 35-6 New England Patriots
- WNew England Patriots 20-3 Pittsburgh Steelers
Key stats
Trends · last 5 matches
Injury report
Chicago lists four players as Questionable: running back Kyle Monangai (toe), guard Jonah Jackson (hip), and linebackers T.J. Edwards (hamstring) and Jack Sanborn (concussion). Edwards, Sanborn and Monangai did not participate Tuesday, in a walkthrough with estimated participation. Jackson was listed as limited.
Dayo Odeyingbo (quadriceps) and Braxton Jones (knee) remain on injured reserve.
New England had no official game designations at the time of writing. Guards Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring) and Ben Brown (knee) sat out Tuesday, and Mike Vrabel said they probably will not play. Wide receiver Romeo Doubs went on injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Cornerback Carlton Davis III returned in limited fashion after missing two games with a neck injury. A.J. Brown (ankle) and tackle Morgan Moses (foot) were also limited, and Maye practiced fully.
Chicago has home field, the league's top rushing total and an efficient Williams. New England arrives with the better momentum and Maye at his best, but a banged-up offensive line and a short week weigh on the visitors. We expect a scoring game, with the Bears controlling the tempo in the second half. Bears 27, Patriots 24.
Match odds
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