The Patriots are back on the road for a second-straight week as they travel to Chicago to take on first-overall pick Caleb Williams and the 4-4 Bears.
New England is coming off their second overtime loss of the season after Drake Maye willed the team to an extra frame with a head-turning touchdown drive at the end of regulation in Tennessee. Maye's development is of paramount importance for New England, but getting contributions from the protection and weapons around him has been a consistent challenge and one they'll hope to conquer against the Bears.
What do Maye and his teammates need to do to knock off a Bears team that has yet to be beaten home this season? Here are the 10 to Watch!
Drake Maye: Maye put the NFL on notice with his late-game comeback drive against the Titans that forced overtime. The Pats ultimately lost but Maye did enough, outside of his three turnovers, to give fans reason to believe that they have a budding star at the game's most important position. What Maye needs to do in Chicago is obvious, eliminating, or at least reducing the giveaways is critical to getting his team back on the winning track. The Patriots haven't played well enough around Maye to give them much margin for error, and no errors are worse than turnovers, especially in a tied game late in the fourth quarter. Maye has all the talent but, like most young quarterbacks, his progress depends on eliminating the bad football.
Kendrick Bourne: Bourne had been quiet since returning to the team off of the PUP list in Week 5, registering just four catches before entering Sunday's game against the Titans. Then, in one game, Bourne matched his season total with four catches for 41 yards, showing that the veteran receiver is finally getting up to speed and returning to the high level of play he showed in 2023 before he was injured. The offense isn't getting enough out of their wide receivers but there's reason for optimism that Bourne's re-emergence could be just the boost that the team needs. A versatile player who is dangerous after the catch, Bourne's skillset is everything the Patriots need right now.
Patriots Offensive Line: The Pats offensive line continues to be one of the top storylines this season. Even with improved pass protection that qualified as their second-lowest pressure rate of the season (34.6% according to Next Gen Stats), their inability to open holes in the run game continues to hamper the overall offense. At long last, it seems like the OL is getting healthy and has some continuity going for them. It must translate into improvement, especially on the ground, or else it's going to be a long grind through the last nine games trying to find ways to move the ball and score points.
Patriots Run Defense: Like the OL, the run defense has been a key culprit this season. They're 26th in DVOA and 26th in rushing yards allowed and were once again gashed on the ground, this time by the Titans (167 rushing yards). Chicago's run game rating doesn't exactly jump off the page, they're 22nd in DVOA and 23rd in rushing yards, but they have enough to still scare the Patriots defense, starting with dangerous back D'Andre Swift. Getting the run game going is the easiest way for the Bears to take pressure off of Caleb Williams. The Pats front must come ready to play and stop an early ground onslaught from Chicago.
Patriots Pass Rush Front: The Patriots defense posted their second-best pressure rate of the season against the Titans (41.7%) but still only logged a single sack and were unable to make the key plays necessary to get the team the win, even if they did get a red zone stop in overtime that staved off defeat. Williams presents another difficult assignment, as the rushers will have to maintain their lane integrity and keep the Bears QB contained in the pocket, forcing him to go through reads and win late in downs from the pocket. Keion White leads the team with 33 pressures, while second-place Deatrich Wise has less than half of that total (15). However, White's been stuck on four sacks since Week 2. Like many spots, the Patriots need more production and most importantly finish from their pass rushers, or else even the rookie Williams will pick them apart.
Caleb Williams: The first overall pick has led the Bears to a 4-4 record while throwing nine touchdowns to five interceptions. However, Williams has hit a bit of a cold streak going without a touchdown, or an interception for that matter, in two road losses to the Commanders and Cardinals in which the Bears scored just 24 combined points. Still, Williams is a dangerous player, especially outside of the pocket where his ability to throw downfield while on the move is a major concern for the Patriots defense. The Bears offense might boast more weapons than New England's but neither has been effective this season with the Patriots ranking 31st in DVOA and the Bears ranking 27th. Containing Williams is one of the game's first keys to victory, though his playmaking skill will still find ways to shine through.
"He's a very good player," said Jerod Mayo of Williams this week. "This guy is able to extend plays. He's very athletic. I watched him a little bit coming out and then really just diving into the tape. This guy is very athletic. He's elusive. He has great vision in the pocket, and I would say he scrambles more to make throws."
Moore, Odunze and Allen: The Bears receiving corps is among the league's most talented, featuring a nice mix of established vets and young talent. D.J. Moore leads the team with 37 catches and three touchdowns, while Odunze has 25 and Allen, who missed two games, has 21. That wide receiver depth will challenge the Patriots cornerback depth, with Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, Jonthan Jones and Marco Wilson all having important coverage responsibilities. There isn't really one receiver to focus on, all can burn a defense with their varied strengths, and that will complicate defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington's gameplan.
D'Andre Swift: Swift has been the Bears bell-cow back this season with 125 carries for 505 yards and four touchdowns and he should be a central part of the Bears attack against the Patriots 26th-ranked DVOA run defense. New England has allowed over 150 rushing yards in five of their last six games and now ranks 26th in rushing yards allowed this season. Keeping Swift contained and putting Williams into difficult third-down situations must be a priority but is it one that the maligned Patriots run defense can execute?
"As far as the backs are concerned, explosive, all have to be at the point of attack," said Mayo. "It starts up front with us as far as the run game is concerned."
Cole Kmet: The big tight end out of Notre Dame is developing into a safety blanket for Williams and has caught an efficient 27 balls on 40 total targets. The Patriots safety group has been hit hard this season, while they missed Kyle Dugger for a second-straight game, putting second-year player Marte Mapu, veteran Jalynn Hawkins and rookie Dell Pettus in the spotlight. Dugger's return from an ankle injury would be a welcome benefit when it comes to dealing with Kmet. He's a key third-down chain mover and a reliable player to stop if the Patriots defense is to get off the field.
Gervon Dexter/Montez Sweat: The Patriots have faced a gauntlet of tough defensive linemen in recent weeks and that will continue against Dexter and Sweat this weekend in Chicago. The duo leads the Bears with a combined 7.5 sacks, while Dexter alone has posted 12 QB hits. Overall, Chicago ranks 10th in pressure rate and 21st in blitz rate. They can get after the passer without having to send extra rushers. The Patriots interior offensive line will need their best game yet to keep Dexter and Sweat out of Maye's lap.
"Defensively, obviously they put [Andrew] Billings on IR, which is a loss for them," said Mayo. "In saying that, they definitely still have a lot of players on the field that have played a lot of football and have played at a high level for an extended period of time."
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