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Three key matchups to watch as Patriots go for third win in a row

By Fran Brown

Jan 2, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (23) reacts after intercepting a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2022; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots safety Kyle Dugger (23) reacts after intercepting a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports /
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Fresh off back-to-back wins, the Patriots are back in the hunt and will look to go over. 500 when they host the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. Prior to the season, this game was hailed as a matchup between two second-year quarterback in Mac Jones and Justin Fields but both have gotten off to poor starts in 2022. It remains to be seen who will start at quarterback for the Patriots (all signs are pointing to Jones being back) but the Bears have such a poor rush defense that it might not matter.

Defensively, the Bears rank 29th in the NFL as they have surrendered 978 yards on the ground through six games (163 yards per game). Conversely, their passing defense ranks second as teams have not had to rely on the pass as much. The Bears are pretty much the same on offense: a strong running game and not much to write home about regarding the passing attack. Their 737 receiving yards are dead last in the league and their wide receivers have combined for only 553 yards through the air. Here are the key matchups to watch as the Patriots try to go for their third victory in a row.

FOXBOROUGH, MA – OCTOBER 9, 2022: Christian Barmore #90 of the New England Patriots reacts after a defensive stop during the game against the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium on October 9, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA – OCTOBER 9, 2022: Christian Barmore #90 of the New England Patriots reacts after a defensive stop during the game against the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium on October 9, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images) /

Key matchups for the Patriots in week seven

Patriots front seven vs. Chicago running game

Stop me if you’ve heard this here before, but the Patriots are playing another strong running team. Add the Bears to the list that includes Baltimore, Green Bay, Detroit and Cleveland as they rank 2nd in the NFL with 1,024 rushing yards. Through six games, really the only threat on the Chicago offense has been the rushing attack as quarterback Justin Fields averages only 19 pass attempts per game (31st in the NFL) and completes just 54.8% of them. The area that could hurt the Patriots is if they are not able to keep contain on Fields as he has rushed for 282 yards so far.

It seems the Patriots have fixed their run defense over the past two weeks after getting shredded by Baltimore and Green Bay. Last week, they were able to hold the NFL’s leading rusher Nick Chubb to just 56 yards on the ground and only gave up 70 for the day. The play along the defensive line, especially with Davon Godchaux and Carl Davis has improved in the absence of Lawrence Guy and has allowed linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley and safety Kyle Dugger to come up and make plays. If the Patriots can win the battle at the line of scrimmage, it will go a long way for their chances on Monday.

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