This NFL Week 7 Thursday Night Football preview features the 4-2 New England Patriots as they hit the road to challenge the 4-2 Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. The Patriots trail the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East and hope to gain ground or avoid falling further behind by the end of the week. The Bears are chasing the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers in an NFC North packed with dangerous teams. How have these teams looked thus far, and what are their keys to victory? Thanks to Fox Sports for the defensive and turnover information, and ESPN for the offensive information.
Bears fans were concerned when quarterback Caleb Williams was forced to the sideline due to an injury, ultimately missing three games because of the hamstring issue. The team’s top-ten defense helped them go 2-1 over that span, limiting opponents to under 17 PPG. Williams returned in style last week, with a 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons, in which he completed 30 of 36 pass attempts for 305 yards.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye started the 2026 season with three games he’d like to forget, which had people writing the team off early. Maye has turned things around since then, including 11 touchdowns and only one interception over his last three games. Their top-ten defense and explosive offense have given their season a much-needed boost.
The Bears rank fifth in total offense, two spots ahead of the Patriots in seventh. New England, however, has scored more points over the past three weeks as Drake Maye has improved. Both offenses rely on the ground game, with the home team boasting the league’s top rushing attack and their opponent ranking just five spots behind. The visitors have distributed their rushing production fairly evenly among four players. Their opponent, however, leans on running back D’Andre Swift, although Kyle Monangai has filled in nicely when called upon. Both backs enter the game with over 300 yards on the season.
Both defenses also rank well overall, occupying the sixth and seventh spots heading into Thursday night’s game. Both sides have also performed relatively well against the run and pass. The Bears and Patriots defenses rank better against the run than against the pass, although the difference is relatively small, with neither unit ranking worse than 14th in either category. After finishing 2025 with a bottom-five defense, Chicago’s performance this year has been a refreshing change for fans of the team.
With two teams so similar, this game will likely be decided by the turnover margin, which neither team has handled well so far. The Patriots rank 30th in turnover margin after Week 6, largely due to Maye’s poor start, which included six interceptions in his first three games. The Bears rank better than New England on the season, but still have a negative turnover margin. Interceptions haven’t been the only issue, as both sides have fumbled the ball six times this year. Which side will take better care of the ball on Thursday night?
This NFL Week 7 Thursday Night Football preview should lead to an exciting, close game. The Bears are averaging 25 PPG this season, and the Patriots are averaging 33.3 PPG over their last three games. With both defenses performing well, the matchup could come down to turnovers and which offense executes more consistently. New England and Chicago have difference-makers on both sides of the ball, so who’ll step up when it matters most?
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