The New England Patriots have turned their season around over the last three weeks. After starting the year 1-2 with the worst offense in football, they've averaged 33.3 PPG and are on a three-game win streak. After wins over the Bills and Raiders, they moved to 4-2 on Sunday after a win against a stingy New York Jets squad.
With a short week ahead and a Thursday game against the Bears, the Patriots can put pressure on the Bills to beat the Ravens on Sunday. If New England wins and Buffalo loses, the Patriots will claim the division lead.
The Bears no doubt have offensive star power and a brilliant offensive mind leading their squad. Ben Johnson is an excellent playcaller, Caleb Williams is back from injury, and D'Andre Swift is on pace for over 1,500 scrimmage yards. While the defense has been inconsistent, the unit has allowed fewer than 13 points three times this season.
As the Patriots head into their first Thursday Night Football matchup of the season, three players stick out as ones to watch against Chicago.
While the Patriots have every reason to be confident going into this one, leaving Soldier Field with a win will be especially difficult if these three perform.
The Patriots need to be cautious against these Bears on TNF
WR Luther Burden III
Despite not yet recording a 100-yard game in what many expected to be a massive season for Burden, the Missouri product has been productive. In his sophomore campaign, he's led the Bears in catches, targets, and receiving yards. On Caleb Williams' return Sunday, he caught all eight of his targets for 95 yards.
Burden will by no means fly under the radar, but with Rome Odunze and Kalif Raymond having strong seasons thus far, and Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet both posing threats down the seam, there's plenty to focus on.
New England's cornerbacks have been beat up lately, and they'll be without Carlton Davis, Channing Canada, and Karon Prunty this week. So they'll have a lot of ground to make up for in their absence.
DT Grady Jarrett
The Patriots will likely miss three starting offensive linemen on Thursday, and if Ben Brown (doubtful) is officially ruled out, they'll be down to their fourth starting right guard of the season. While Will Campbell and Jared Wilson are healthy, Walter Rouse told the media he'll step in for Alijah Vera-Tucker, who left the game with a hamstring injury against the Jets.
Caleb Lomu, Matt Pryor, and Dametrious Crownover will have to replace Brown and potentially Morgan Moses, who is listed as questionable with an ankle injury.
We now know, after Wednesday's injury report, that Moses will play, so Pryor will step in for Brown, and Rouse will be in for Vera-Tucker.
Regardless of the makeshift offensive line the team deploys, the interior is sure to be an issue, especially against a veteran like Grady Jarrett.
Now 33, Jarrett has had an average season so far: a 7.9% pressure rate and no sacks. However, against an inexperienced interior, he could feast. Rouse has just 143 offensive snaps in three seasons, and Wilson took his first NFL snap at center in Week 1. Lomu didn't play guard in college and hasn't taken a snap inside in the NFL, while Pryor has played just 170 snaps since the beginning of 2025.
CB Kyler Gordon
Gordon returned on Sunday after missing the first five weeks with a calf injury, and he showed out. Gordon tied the NFL record for sacks in a game by a cornerback with three, two of which were strip sacks.
Beyond his pass-rush acumen, Gordon is among the league's highest-paid slot cornerbacks for good reason. Injuries have limited him to only six games for the Bears since Ben Johnson took charge in 2025, but with both Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins on IR, his role has become even more critical.
A.J. Brown's Week 6 performance was no doubt one to remember, but you would expect him to rebound on Thursday. The Patriots' issue will be finding a second weapon in the receiving game. Without Doubs, they will likely look to Pop Douglas or Efton Chism, both primarily slot receivers.
If Gordon locks down the inside of the field, New England will need to rely almost exclusively on Brown to beat two-time Pro Bowler Jaylon Johnson. Add in young star Dillon Thienemen, likely covering Hunter Henry, and the Patriots could have a major problem.
If Gordon is on top of his game as both a blitzer and slot corner, it could be a long day for New England's offense.
The Patriots are on a three-game win streak, and with A.J. Brown having the chance to play consecutive games with Maye for the first time, they have little reason not to be confident. Nonetheless, the Bears are a strong squad, and players like Burden, Jarrett, and Gordon could become significant problems if the Ravens don't handle them properly.
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