The Bears have a quick turnaround this week, playing Thursday night against the New England Patriots. Both the Patriots and Bears are playing good football right now as they both sit at 4-2. The last time these two teams played was in 2024. A game where the Bears’ offense looked so inept that it ended with the firing of Shane Waldron.
The Bears are in a much different place heading into this matchup, and the Patriots are looking like an AFC playoff team following up their Super Bowl appearance in February.
To get you set for this big game, we sat down with Taylor Kyles from Pat’s Pulpit (SB Nation’s New England Patriots site) to get you a better perspective of where the Patriots are at. Here’s that Q&A.
1. We know the big topic of this game is going to be the battle of 2024 first-round QBs. Caleb Williams has beaten all his first-round QB-mates except for Bo Nix (hasn’t played him) and Drake Maye after the disastrous game in 2024 that led to Shane Waldron being fired. Are there any lingering concerns about Drake Maye’s poor stretch of play, or is confidence high that he’s all the way back?
Drake Maye has done a complete 180 since his ugly three-game stretch to start the season. Through that initial rough patch, Maye was putting the ball in harm’s way due to poor decision-making, and that seemed to shake his confidence and affect his fundamentals. But since turning things around in Buffalo, Maye has returned to MVP-caliber form and done an excellent job maximizing his arm talent and mobility. One of the best examples is his deep passing, where he went from a 0-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio from Weeks 1-3 to a 5-0 ratio from Weeks 4-6, the best mark in the league over that span.
Between his improved sense of risk-vs-reward, ability to avoid potential negative plays, and impressive field vision, I think it’s safe to say early concerns have been put to bed. That said, Maye must prove he can replicate this dominance and ball security against the league’s best defenses.
2. The offensive line for New England certainly looks significantly beat up, and I’m sure the short week doesn’t help. How much of an issue is this for the Patriots?
C Jared Wilson is the only Patriots lineman to play ever snap for the offense, excluding garbage time. RG Mike Onwenu is on injured reserve with an ankle injury; RT Morgan Moses has dealt with a foot injury for weeks; LT Will Campbell was knocked out of Week 5’s Raiders game with a knee injury; and LG Alijah Vera-Tucker left last week’s Jets game with a hamstring injury. Even Onwenu’s backup Ben Brown, who’d been playing well for a natural center, was knocked out last week with a knee injury.
Campbell looked good last week despite his recent injury, and Moses should play on Thursday night, but the Patriots will be starting reserves on the attack: Matt Pryor and LG Walter Rouse. Pryor is a big, powerful veteran who didn’t give up pressure and generated movement in the ground game, but his lateral quickness is lacking, and he struggled to sustain blocks in the ground game. Rouse flashed as a run blocker, but didn’t get any quality pass protection snaps and struggled in that area when he was asked to step in late against the Jaguars.
If I’m the Bears, I’m targeting the interior on blitzes and stunts to force a group without much experience together to communicate and be on the same page, specifically to the offense’s left.
3. Can you give us one player on offense and one player on defense that Bears fans may not know but you think can make a significant impact on Thursday night?
WR Kyle Williams has been a bit of a one-trick pony for the Patriots since being drafted in the third round last year, but that one trick is catching go-balls for touchdowns. Williams has an excellent release package and the speed to hit home runs at any moment, especially with Maye throwing him the ball. Williams is expected to have a bigger role with Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins on injured reserve, and he could be a difference-maker given how shaky the Bears’ outside corners have been defending the deep ball.
On defense, Elijah Ponder looks like a rising star one year after joining the Patriots as an undrafted free agent, tying for third in the NFL with 5.5 sacks. He’s a big edge defender with the explosiveness and bend of someone much smaller, and he’s provided quality play as a pass rusher, run defender, and occasional coverage player. Ponder beat tackles one-on-one, even if his technique is still a work in progress, but last week he showed he can also win and free up teammates on stunts. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes it a long night for LT Theo Benedet.
4. What happened to AJ Brown last week? I’m sure he was rusty, but that seemed like someone coated his hands in butter before the game. Any concerns about his performance moving forward for New England?
A.J. Brown’s drops were ugly, and they even extended to the onside kick recovery team, where he almost gave the Jets a chance to come back late in the game. That said, he was open on nearly all of his targets, and the egregiousness of his drops led me to believe the receiver was in his head after missing four games with a high ankle sprain. Brown is a professional and one of the best pass-catchers on the planet, so I won’t be worried unless the issue becomes an unshakable habit.
5. How do you think this Super Bowl XX rematch plays out (Sorry, I had to bring it up, you understand)?
As a native Chicagoan, I can let that one slide. And there’s no shame in losing to the ‘85 Bears (Rest in peace, Coach Ditka)!
I see this game being close early before turning into a good old-fashioned shootout with Drake Maye and Caleb Williams showing why they’re two of the league’s top young talents.
I’m predicting Andy Borragales pays off a long drive from Maye and company to win 31-28.
