The Chicago Bears (2-4) will face off against the New England Patriots (3-3) on Monday Night Football, where they’re looking to break a three-game losing streak.
Chicago is coming off a frustrating 12-7 loss to the Washington Commanders (2-4), where the red zone offense stalled and another fumble proved costly. Meanwhile, New England is coming off a dominating 38-15 win over the Cleveland Browns (2-4).
Here are seven things to know ahead of the Bears’ Week 7 game against the Patriots.
1
The series
New England leads the all-time series against Chicago, with a 10-4 record. Not to mention, the Patriots have dominated the rivalry in recent history, winning the last five meetings dating back to 2002. The last time these two teams met, New England emerged victorious 38-31 after a Bears Hail Mary attempt fell short.
2
How they stack up
The Bears are averaging 15.5 points per game (31st in NFL) while the Patriots are averaging 23.5 (11th). Chicago has the second-best rushing attack in the league, averaging 170.8 yards on the ground. New England is averaging 131.3 rushing yards per game, which ranks 10th. The Patriots are averaging 223.3 passing yards per game (10th) while the Bears have the worst passing game in the league averaging 122.8 passing yards per game.
Chicago is allowing 19.7 points per game (11th) while New England is allowing 18.8 (7th). The Bears have the third-best passing defense allowing 178.7 passing yards per game. Meanwhile, the Patriots are allowing 218.8 yards through the air (14th). But Chicago’s weakness is its porous run defense, which is allowing 163 yards on the ground (29th). New England’s defense is giving up 119 rushing yards per game (17th).
3
Bill Belichick is 5-1 vs. Bears
Bill Belichick is near perfect against the Bears during his stint with the Patriots, where he’s gone 5-1 against Chicago. That includes winning the last five meetings. Although it’s worth noting that he did have Tom Brady as his quarterback. Can the Bears break their five-game skid against the Patriots?
4
N'Keal Harry to make Bears debut vs. former team
N’Keal Harry is set to make his Bears debut on Monday Night Football against his former team, the Patriots. Chicago traded a 2024 seventh-round pick to New England for Harry this offseason. He suffered an ankle injury in Aug. 6, and he landed on injured reserve. Harry returned from IR last week, but he didn’t make his debut given the short week. Has Harry had this game circled on his calendar? “Absolutely. It’s my old team,” Harry told reporters. “That always comes with wanting to play well.”
5
Bears are winless in prime time this season
The Bears will play in their third and final prime-time game this season when they face the Patriots in New England. And it’s a good thing, too, considering how bad it’s been for Chicago in prime time this year. The Bears have gone 0-2 under the lights, losing 27-10 to the Packers in Week 2 and, most recently, 12-7 to the Commanders in Week 6. That doesn’t bode well for Monday night’s game against the Patriots.
6
A battle of first-round QBs?
No doubt the reason this Bears-Patriots game was billed as a prime-time matchup was because of Justin Fields vs. Mac Jones, the fourth and fifth quarterbacks chosen in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Chicago traded up to 11th overall to select Fields, and the Patriots selected Jones four picks later. Unfortunately, we don’t know for certain if this game will feature a battle between the two as Jones’ status is uncertain after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 3. If not, it’ll be fourth-round rookie Bailey Zappe, who’s gotten off to a hot start, making his third start.
7
Betting odds
The Bears are betting underdogs for the fifth time this season. Chicago is a 7.5-point road underdog against the Patriots, per Tipico Sportsbook. The over/under for the game is set at 39.5.
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