The triumphant return of Caleb Williams was better than anybody expected as these Chicago Bears got a win, on the road, over the Atlanta Falcons.
Now, Williams and company get the privilege of being back at Soldier Field on a short week before they take on Drake Maye and the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football.
It's a game with one gigantic storyline, of course, with Williams and Maye being part of the same draft class and going no. 1 and no. 2 overall. But, this is about two very good teams, both 4-2 and looking to keep momentum moving forward.
And, whether it's the latest injury news, storylines, predictions or other nuggets about this matchup, we've got it all right here for you.
- Bears injury report for Week 7
- Patriots injury report for Week 7
- How to watch Bears vs. Patriots on Thursday Night Football
- Weather forecast for Bears vs. Patriots
- Top Bears storylines for TNF matchup with Patriots
- Predictions for Bears vs. Patriots
Bears injury report for Week 7
Note: These will be updated when teams release official reports
Update 10/19: Team released an estimate as Bears did not hold a practice
Player | Injury | 10/19 |
|---|---|---|
LB T.J. Edwards | Hamstring | DNP |
OL Jonah Jackson | Hip/Quad | DNP |
RB Kyle Monangai | Thumb/Toe | DNP |
LB Jack Sanborn | Concussion | DNP |
LB Keyshaun Elliott | Quad | Full |
CB Tyrique Stevenson | Hip | Full |
Patriots injury report for Week 7
Note: These will be updated when teams release official reports
Update 10/19: The Patriots listed 17 players on the injury report here. Below, are the players who did not practice in full.
Player | Injury | 10/19 |
|---|---|---|
K Andy Borregales | Personal | DNP |
OL Ben Brown | Knee | DNP |
CB Carlton Davis III | Neck | DNP |
DT Joshua Farmer | Personal | DNP |
OL Alijah Vera-Tucker | Hamstring | DNP |
WR A.J. Brown | Ankle | Limited |
CB Channing Canada | Hamstring | Limited |
OL Morgan Moses | Foot | Limited |
CB Karon Prunty | Hamstring | Limited |
How to watch Bears vs. Patriots on Thursday Night Football
Date: Thursday October 22nd
Time: 7:15pm CT
TV: Amazon Prime
Announcers: Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung (sideline)
Weather forecast for Bears vs. Patriots
(Forecast via NFL Weather)
Temperature: 62 degrees
Wind: 3 mph
Precipitation: n/a
Top Bears storylines for TNF matchup with Patriots
Caleb Williams and Drake Maye square off for the second time in their career
It might be hard for Bears fans to remember, but these two quarterbacks went head to head back in November of 2024. Those were still the Matt Eberflus-coached Bears who were taken down by New England by a score of 19-3. It was a forgettable game as Williams was sacked a whopping nine times.
Fast forward to present day and these are two very different teams. Both had losing records the last time they met, but now we're looking at the defending AFC Champions and a Bears team coming off a Divisional Round appearance last season.
Williams leads the NFL in completion percentage and came back strong from his hamstring tear just this past week. Maye is a winner of three-straight games and has looked better after starting the season in miserable fashion.
The winner of this game should have all the confidence in the world, while the season is still early.
Bears and Patriots both boast a top-10 defense
Speaking of the season still being early, we've seen this Bears defense look like a top-tier unit at times, and other moments they are being gashed left and right. Still, Chicago's defense is the no. 7 unit overall, allowing 302.3 yards per game. The Patriots are barely ahead of them at no. 6, allowing 300.8.
Team | PPG Allowed | YPG allowed | Turnover Diff. |
|---|---|---|---|
Bears | 19.8 | 302.3 | -2 |
Patriots | 18.8 | 300.8 | -6 |
It is fascinating how close these two defenses are. They are within just a couple of yards of one another in terms of both passing and rushing yards allowed per game, but the big difference comes with taking the ball away.
Dennis Allen's group continues to force takeaways by any means necessary. Something tells me that's exactly what this game is going to come down to -- which team can win the turnover battle.
How many snaps will Kyler Gordon get vs. New England?
Kyler Gordon came back with a vengeance in Week 6. It had been forever since we'd seen him play and some of us were even wondering if he'd even play for the Bears again. The situation went from awful vibes to a miraculous comeback story that featured a shocking 3-sack performance from Gordon -- and on just 17 snaps!
With Gordon having his first game under his belt, this year, it will be very interesting to see how Dennis Allen uses him against the Patriots. New England just got A.J. Brown back from injury, too, so limited Maye's deeper shots to Brown will be imperative.
There's no better way to do that, if you're Dennis Allen, than to bring blitzes from the secondary.
Read more: Caleb Williams bluntly called out the national media after Bears win
Predictions for Bears vs. Patriots
Passing yards leader: Caleb Williams
Rushing yards leader: D'Andre Swift
Receiving yards leader: A.J. Brown
Who wins the turnover battle: Bears
Final score prediction: Bears 24 Patriots 20
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