The New England Patriots travel to Soldier Field on Thursday night to face the Chicago Bears in a Week 7 matchup between two 4-2 teams that have turned their seasons around, with kickoff set for 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
A Measuring-Stick Game at Soldier Field
The Patriots and Bears have weathered some early-season storms to arrive at Soldier Field for their final game of October with both teams at 4-2, and each side is chasing a win that would validate its turnaround.
New England sits second in the AFC East, with Buffalo currently sitting ahead of the Patriots in the division standings with a 5-1 record, leaving New England one game behind, though the Patriots currently own the tiebreaker after beating the Bills in Week 4. Chicago, meanwhile, trails both Minnesota and Green Bay in a crowded NFC North race.
Drake Maye's Turnaround Defines the Matchup
No storyline looms larger over this game than Drake Maye's recovery. The Patriots started the season slowly, just 1-2, with losses to Jacksonville and Seattle, and Maye led the league in interceptions with six in the first three games.
From Worst to First in a Month
Since then, the Patriots quarterback has completely reversed course. After passing for one touchdown and six interceptions in New England's first three games, he has thrown for 10 touchdowns and one interception during the Patriots' three-game winning streak, a run that included upsetting the Bills, blowing out the Raiders and taking care of the Jets. Last season, Maye finished as the MVP runner-up and led New England to the Super Bowl, and over the past three weeks he has resembled that version of himself again.
Caleb Williams Offers an Equal Challenge
Chicago's own franchise quarterback is in the middle of a similar rise. Maye led the NFL with a 72.0 completion percentage last year, while Williams currently tops the league with a 72.5 completion percentage, and Thursday night's game will feature quarterbacks selected with the No. 1 and 3 picks in the 2024 draft in the Bears' Caleb Williams and the Patriots' Drake Maye, respectively.
A Rivalry Dating Back to High School
Williams and Maye have known each other since their high school days, long before either became a top-three pick. Their only previous meeting, in 2024, produced a 19-3 Patriots win in a season when both of their teams struggled to sub-.500 finishes, leading to coaching changes. Since then, Williams helped the Bears take their first NFC North title in seven years under coach Ben Johnson.
Patriots' Offensive Line in Crisis Before Kickoff
Maye's protection took a hit just hours before the game. The Patriots placed starting left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker on injured reserve Thursday, meaning he will miss at least four games, after he suffered a hamstring injury during Sunday's win over the New York Jets.
Vera-Tucker had started all six games for New England this season after signing as a free agent in March, and his absence deepens an already battered line. With Ben Brown ruled out, and both Greg Van Roten and Mike Onwenu on injured reserve, the Patriots will start Matt Pryor and Walter Rouse — their fifth and sixth options, at guard. To fill the open roster spot, the Patriots elevated OL Xavier Newman-Johnson and LB Benton Whitley to the active roster from the practice squad for Thursday's game.
Kickoff Time, TV Channel and What Comes Next
Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET, with the game streaming nationally on Prime Video from Soldier Field in Chicago.
Beyond this week, the stakes carry into November. The Patriots' upcoming schedule continues with a matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 8, before New England faces the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions the following two weeks, ahead of a demanding stretch that includes games against Buffalo, Minnesota and Kansas City. A win in Chicago would be a meaningful step for whichever quarterback keeps his team moving up the NFL playoff race this winter.
The Bears also carry extra emotional weight into a home primetime game not long after the passing of franchise legend Mike Ditka. For the Patriots, Thursday's test follows a stretch that included a statement win in the division, with Buffalo's own recent battles detailed in coverage of the Bills' overtime thriller against the Rams. The NFC North picture, meanwhile, remains tight after Green Bay's win over Dallas kept the Packers ahead of Chicago in the standings.