The banged-up New England Patriots won't be able to take much of a break after taking down the New York Jets in Week 6. Instead, they had to pack up and head to the Windy City for a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Chicago Bears.
Going up against one of the most explosive offenses in football is a challenge in itself, and doing so while severely undermanned makes it even tougher. However, Mike Vrabel doesn't make excuses, and neither do his players.
Still, some guys will likely face more pressure to deliver in this high-flying matchup. With that in mind, let's talk about the four players who'll be under the most pressure when the Patriots face the Bears.
4 Patriots players under pressure to deliver against the Bears
OL Caleb Lomu
While Morgan Moses still hasn't been ruled out, he couldn't finish the game last week. So, even if he's cleared to play, Caleb Lomu might have to step in at some point. Maybe they might even give him a test run at right guard, as they did in training camp.
Lomu has shown flashes of strong pass protection, but all rookie linemen are still a work in progress. He has not given up a sack or been called for a penalty in 159 offensive snaps at either tackle spot.
WR Efton Chism III
Efton Chism III has emerged as a true problem-solver for Josh McDaniels and Drake Maye amid their string of wide receiver injuries. That said, all undrafted guys must earn everything the hard way, and he has to keep that chip on his shoulder to show that he deserves a role on this team.
Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins are both on Injured Reserve. The Patriots' passing game is undermanned, and Chism will have to keep stepping up. Fortunately, he'll go against a beatable secondary on Thursday.
WR A.J. Brown
A.J. Brown has played a little under two full games for the Patriots, but he hasn't had a big catch or a memorable moment yet. It's not entirely on him, though, and he was clearly rusty in his return against the Jets.
That said, no one of his caliber has an excuse. Is he worth the hassle? Probably, but he has to prove it on the stat sheet, especially now that his team is down multiple key guys in the passing game. It's about time he puts up big numbers.
QB Drake Maye
Drake Maye shouldn't be on this list, but this is a short-memory/narrative-based league. He'll square off against Caleb Williams, taken two spots ahead of him in the NFL Draft, and that nugget will likely dominate the broadcast and social media discourse.
As such, Maye won't just be asked to play well and lead the team to a win; he'll also be expected to outplay his fellow classmate. Is that fair? Nope. Does it make sense? Absolutely not. Unfortunately, that's just the way it goes.
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