The Chicago Bears (4-2) are gearing up for a Week 7 matchup against the New England Patriots (4-2) on Thursday Night Football, where Chicago is looking to improve to 5-2 as they kick off the first of three straight prime-time games.
The Bears are coming off a 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons, where they thrived with the returns of quarterback Caleb Williams and cornerback Kyler Gordon. It was a dominant showing that really illustrates the potential of this team with some of their biggest stars back in the fold. Now, Chicago will face a challenge against the defending AFC Champions, who have plenty of talent on offense and a formidable defense. The Bears will need to be at their best and limit the mistakes if they want to win their second straight
game.
Will Chicago get the best of New England in prime time in Round 2 of Caleb Williams vs. Drake Maye? Our Bears Wire staff shares their game predictions for Bears-Patriots in Week 7:
Alyssa Barbieri (3-3): Bears 34, Patriots 30
Bold prediction: Kyler Gordon notches another sack, forced fumble
The Bears will play the first of three consecutive prime-time games, and it won't start easy against the defending AFC Champion Patriots. While New England and Drake Maye got off to a rough start, they've hit their stride recently with three consecutive wins where Maye has thrown 10 touchdowns and just one interception in that span. The defense has also been tough in that stretch, allowing less than 20 points in each of the last two games. But Chicago has an opportunity to make a statement in a challenging stretch.
The Bears offense looked night and day better with Caleb Williams under center last Sunday, where he had arguably the best game of his career, and the offense is going to need more of that against a talented Patriots defense. Williams looked to be cautious with his mobility in Week 6, but he was still able to extend plays and find open receivers downfield. He adds an element to this offense that makes them dangerous, and Ben Johnson will likely have some tricks up his sleeve against New England. The biggest concern for Chicago is the absence of running back Kyle Monangai, who's expected to miss his third straight game with a toe injury. With Monangai sidelined, the Bears have yet to eclipse 100 rushing yards with the duo of D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson.
The Patriots pose a tough challenge for this Chicago defense, but Dennis Allen has been good at getting the most out of his roster, which will be without Montez Sweat for a second straight game but will have Kyler Gordon, in a limited role, back in action after a career game against the Falcons. This is a game where the Bears will need to find a way to get after Maye and force him into the kind of mistakes he made earlier this season. That starts with shutting down the run game and forcing Maye, behind a makeshift offensive line, to make plays in the pocket. But Chicago also can't overlook Maye's mobility, and keeping him contained will be key.
It's never ideal to play on Thursday night with the short week, but it might play into the Bears' favor with the Patriots dealing with some injuries along the offensive line. Still, the recipe for success for Chicago remains dominating the time of possession and keeping the opposing offense off the field. If the Bears can do that, they'll come away with their fifth win of the season and Williams' first on Thursday night in the NFL.
Brendan Sugrue (3-3): X
Bold prediction:
X
Mike Pendleton (4-2): X
Bold prediction:
X
Vinnie Parise (4-2): Bears 30, Patriots 28
Bold prediction: Caleb Williams and Drake Maye both throw for 250+ yards
The Chicago Bears are going to have an offensive battle with the New England Patriots. It’s a battle of two quarterbacks who were taken in the same vicinity of the 2024 NFL Draft, both of whom have played very well to begin their NFL careers on storied teams.
Both of them are likely going to be efficient against the opposing defense, as each of them have the potential to put up big numbers on any given game day. Under the lights of Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football, expect big numbers.
With the home crowd on their side, the Bears are going to do just enough to earn a victory over the Patriots, with it coming down to the wire. After going to 5-2, they will have a mini-bye to prepare for the defending Super Bowl Champions.
Ariana Pensy (4-2): X
Bold prediction:
X
Randy Holt (2-4): Bears 34, Patriots 20
Bold prediction: The Bears’ defense records at least three sacks and forces at least two turnovers.
After going into last week’s game against Atlanta low on confidence, this team found a way to pull me back to the other end of the spectrum ahead of this week’s tilt with the defending AFC champions. While the continued absence of Kyle Monangai leaves me concerned about what the run game can produce, we also saw that an efficient Caleb Williams and the pass can carry the offense. Given that New England is better against the run anyway (and more middle-of-the-road, statistically, against the pass), it stands to reason that the work through the air can carry the offense to success yet again.
On the other side of the ball, the Patriots are banged up along the offensive line. Considering Drake Maye’s two worst outings (by EPA) came in the two games in which he faced the highest pressure rate, I don’t doubt that Dennis Allen is going to have this team mixing up looks and finding ways to create pressure in the same way that he did against Michael Penix on Sunday. Turnovers could abound if he gets it right.
With Caleb Williams & Kyler Gordon each back in the mix, this team feels like it’s in a very good place on each side of the ball. Unlike a couple of weeks ago where I picked them against Green Bay with plenty of apprehension, I feel quite good about what this team can accomplish against an upper tier AFC team at home on Thursday night.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Will Bears beat the Patriots? Our game picks and bold predictions
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