NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-2) at CHICAGO BEARS (3-2)
Sunday, Oct. 21, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Soldier Field (61,500)
PATRIOTS: Game Release (PDF) | Roster | Depth Chart | Stats | Watch Games
BEARS: Roster | Depth Chart | Stats | Standings
The New England Patriots embark on a two-week road trip this week when they travel to Chicago to face the Bears, followed by a Monday Night Football game at Buffalo on Oct. 29.
This week's game will be the Patriots first visit to Chicago since a 36-7 win at Soldier Field on Dec. 12, 2010. The two teams last met when the Patriots hosted Chicago in a 51-23 win at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 26, 2014.
The Patriots have an NFL-best record of 59-18 (.766) in the month of October since 2000 and are 3-0 in October so far this season.
Last Sunday night, the Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs, 43-40, to improve to 4-2. It was the second time in team history the Patriots played a game that both team scored 40 or more points. The first occurrence was a 43-43 tie vs. Oakland on Oct. 16, 1964.
PILING UP THE WINS
Tom Brady has the most regular and postseason wins combined in NFL history. Brady enters the Week 7 matchup with Chicago with 200 regular-season and 27 postseason victories in his career.
SERIES HISTORY
This week's game will mark the 14th meeting overall between the Patriots and Bears (including Super Bowl XX), and the first regular-season meeting since a 51-23 New England victory on Oct. 26, 2014, at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots hold a 9-3 overall lead in the regular-season series, but Chicago claimed a victory in the teams' only postseason matchup, taking a 46-10 decision in Super Bowl XX. Since Super Bowl XX, the Patriots have recorded a 7-1 edge against Chicago and held the Bears to a seven or fewer points in five of those games.
The Patriots last played at Soldier Field eight years ago, a 36-7 new England win in the snow on Dec. 12, 2010.
One of the more memorable games between the two teams was in 2002, when the Bears played their home games at the University of Illinois during the remodeling of Soldier Field.
New England staged one of the most memorable comebacks in team history, rallying from a 27-6 deficit late in the third quarter to pull out for a 33-30 win that was clinched on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to David Patten with 21 seconds left in the game.
SERIES BREAKDOWN
Last win: Oct. 26, 2014; 51-23
Patriots largest winning margin: 29; Dec. 12, 2010; 36-7
Bears largest winning margin: 36; Jan. 26, 1986; 46-10
Patriots vs. Bears on the road: 5-3-0
All-time series record: Patriots, 9-3
Last Meeting: Oct. 26, 2014, Patriots, 51-23
Current Streak: Patriots, four games
TALE OF THE TAPE
| 2018 Regular Season | New England | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 4-2 | 3-2 |
| Divisional Standings | 1stT | 1st |
| Total Yards Gained | 2,287 | 1,831 |
| Total Ofense (Rank) | 381.2 (14) | 366.2 (19) |
| Rush Offense | 123.0 (11) | 130.0 (8) |
| Pass Offense | 258.2 (19) | 236.2 (22) |
| Points Per Game | 29.3 (4) | 27.8 (10) |
| Total Yards Allowed | 2,276 | 1,719 |
| Total Defense (Rank) | 379.3 (20) | 343.8 (10) |
| Rush Defense | 110.7 (18) | 83.4 (4) |
| Pass Defense | 268.7 (21) | 260.4 (16) |
| Points Allowed/Game | 24.7 (18T) | 19.2 (4) |
| Possession Avg. | 30:12 | 32:03 |
| Sacks Allowed/Yards Lost | 8/50 | 12/80 |
| Sacks Made/Yards | 7/54 | 18/109 |
| Total Touchdowns Scored | 20 | 16 |
| Penalties Against/Yards | 26/206 | 29/231 |
| Punts/Avg. | 21/47.3 | 16/46.3 |
| Turnover Diferential | +2 (9T) | +6 (3) |
UNBLEMISHED RECORD
Chicago is one of five NFL teams that Tom Brady has an undefeated regular season record against.
Team | Record
Atlanta Falcons, 5-0
Chicago Bears, 4-0
Dallas Cowboys, 4-0
Minnesota Vikings, 4-0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4-0
IF THE PATRIOTS WIN...
- The Patriots will improve to 10-4 against the Bears all-time and 10-3 in the regular season.
- The Patriots will own a 52-14 (.788) record vs. NFC teams since realignment in 2002, which is the best inter-conference record in the NFL during that time, including a 15-3 mark against the NFC North.
- The Patriots will improve to 60-18 (.769) in the month of October since the 2000 season, an NFL best during that time.
- The Patriots will improve to 99-48 (.673) in road games since 2000.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR...
- The Patriots have recorded three-straight games of 30 or more points, a feat they accomplished twice in 2017. If they score 30 or more points for a fourth-straight week against the Bears, it will be the first time the Patriots have done so since 2015, when they went on a six-game run. The franchise record for consecutive games with 30 or more points is 13 games, set from 2010-11.
- If the Patriots score 40 or more points against the Bears, it will be just the ninth time in franchise history that the team will have racked up 40-plus points in consecutive games. They most recently did so in 2015 in Weeks 2 and 3. The team record for most consecutive 40-plus point games is three, reached in both 2007 and 2014.
- The Patriots defense has recorded an interception in all six games of 2018. If the Patriots snag at least one interception against the Bears, it will mark the first time the team has done so in seven-straight games since 2013, when they did it in eight consecutive games.
- In 2018, the Patriots have scored 52 points off 12 takeaways, which is the most in the NFL through the first six weeks of the season. By comparison, the Patriots opponents have scored 31 points off 10 New England giveaways.
- Since 2001, New England is 49-1 in the regular season when a Patriot eclipses 100 yards rushing, including two victories in 2018 with 100- yard outings by Sony Michel. With a 100-yard rusher against Chicago — which the Bears have not allowed this season — the Patriots would improve to 50-1 (.980) with a 100-yard rusher.
- If the Patriots score in the final minute of the first half, they will do so for the 16th time since the start of the 2017 season. They are 12-3 in those games. The Patriots have scored in the final minute of the first half four times in 2018, in wins over the Texans, Dolphins and Colts and in a loss to the Lions.
- Under Bill Belichick, the Patriots are 72-18 (.800) against quarterbacks age 25 or younger. They have a chance to improve to 73-18 against Mitch Trubisky, who is 24.
- Tom Brady will remain undefeated against the Bears and improve his mark to 5-0 in the regular season as a starter. Brady currently holds a perfect record against five teams, including Atlanta (5-0), Chicago (4-0), Dallas (4-0), Minnesota (4-0) and Tampa Bay (4-0).
- Tom Brady will earn his 90th road victory in the regular season, extending his NFL record. Peyton Manning ranks second with 85 road wins.
- It will mark the 201st regular-season win of Tom Brady's career, tying Gary Anderson for third-most all time.
- Tom Brady will extend his own record for most career wins in NFL history to 228 victories (regular and postseason). Entering Week 7, Adam Vinatieri is second with 226 wins.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TELEVISION: This week's game will be broadcast by CBS and can be seen locally on WBZ-TV Channel 4. Ian Eagle will handle play-by-play duties with Dan Fouts as the color analyst. Evan Washburn will work from the sidelines. The game will be produced by Mark Wolff and directed by Bob Fishman.
NATIONAL RADIO: Sunday's game will be broadcast to a national audience on Sports USA. Larry Kahn will call the with game with Doug Plank providing analysis.
LOCAL RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. A complete listing of the network's 41 stations can be found here. Play-by-play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who will provide color analysis. The games are produced by Marc Cappello
