Thursday night’s Week 7 matchup brings together two 4-2 teams that have spent the first month-plus proving they belong in the conversation. Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears return home to face Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in a game that could tell us plenty about both offenses.
The Bears are listed as 2.5-point favorites, and Chicago is coming off a strong showing in Week 6 after Williams came back from a three-game absence. The former No. 1 pick shook off his hamstring issue and delivered a sharp performance in a 31-point win over the Atlanta Falcons, completing 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown while adding three rushing yards on four carries. Through three appearances, Williams has thrown for 712 yards, three scores and has a pair of rushing touchdowns.
That kind of production was a welcome jolt after Chicago managed only seven points in a Week 5 loss to Green Bay. With Williams back in the lineup, the Bears’ attack looked far more dangerous, and the matchup with New England gives them another chance to show that the offense can travel to a different level.
The Patriots arrive with their own momentum after winning their third straight game, taking down the New York Jets in a key AFC East matchup. Maye has been at the center of that run, and after a slow start, he has looked much more like an MVP candidate over the last three weeks, especially in wins over the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders.
On paper, this has the feel of a true measuring-stick game. Both teams have the look of potential playoff contenders, and both offenses have flashed enough to suggest they can hang with the league’s better units.
Still, the injury picture tilts this one toward Chicago. New England is dealing with major problems up front after losing three starting offensive lineman in Week 6, and that comes on top of having Greg Van Roten and Mike Onwenu on injured reserve. That’s a rough place to be on a short week, particularly with Maye having struggled with turnovers in 2026.
Chicago’s defense has been steady too, sitting in the top 10 in the league in EPA/Play and success rate. Even though the Bears have played three games without their starting quarterback, they’ve covered the spread four times, including a big road win that kept them above .500 through six weeks.
The Bears also have a clear offensive argument. In the two games Williams started and finished, Chicago scored 90 points. Against a New England defense that has been one of the better groups in the league, the Bears still have the kind of home-field edge and quarterback stability that matters most on a short week.
Forget the points. I’ll take the Bears to win in Week 7.
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A.J. Brown, now with the Patriots after his run in Philadelphia, was among those publicly showing support for his former quarterback. For New England fans, it is a reminder of how tightly connected Hurts still is to former teammates around the league, even as the football side of the story takes a back seat to a much more important one. The immediate concern is Hurts health, and the next step is simply waiting for him to move through treatment and get back to football activities when he is medically able. [Read more 🡒]