Patriots vs. Bears: Thursday Night Football Preview — Maye vs. Williams in a 2024 Draft Rematch
Week 7 starts under the Thursday night lights. Chicago, 4-2, hosts New England, also 4-2, at Soldier Field on Thursday, October 22, at 8:15 p.m. ET, with Amazon Prime Video carrying the game. The headline matchup pits two of the 2024 draft’s top quarterbacks against each other: Chicago’s Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick, and New England’s Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick. Chicago is a 2.5-point home favorite, and the total sits at 49.5 points, according to DraftKings Sportsbook via Sports Illustrated.
Both sides walk in hot. Chicago answered a humiliating loss to Green Bay by beating Atlanta 31-23 on Sunday. New England, meanwhile, has won three in a row — division wins over Buffalo and New York among them — and looks like one of the NFL’s hottest teams.
Patriots vs. Bears: Kickoff Time, TV Channel and Odds
Kickoff: Thursday, October 22, 8:15 p.m. ET
Venue: Soldier Field, Chicago
TV/Stream: Amazon Prime Video
Records: Patriots 4-2, Bears 4-2
Spread: Bears -2.5 | Total: 49.5 (via DraftKings)
Thursday marks the first time these teams have met since November 2024, and only the second NFL meeting between Maye and Williams. Maye got the better of Williams 19-3 in their rookie year. Both quarterbacks were on losing teams back then. Plenty has changed since.
Caleb Williams Is Back — and the Bears Are Rolling
Williams played his first game since Week 2 on Sunday, and it was his sharpest outing of the season: 30 completions on 36 attempts, 305 yards, and a touchdown in Chicago’s 31-23 win over Atlanta, per FirstSportz. Luther Burden caught eight passes for 95 yards. Colston Loveland added six catches for 65 yards. Chicago’s defense forced multiple fumbles, returning one for a score.
That bounce-back carried weight. Green Bay had embarrassed Chicago the week before, and doubts about Williams’ readiness were swirling. Instead, the second-year quarterback — who helped Chicago win a division crown after a long drought, per FirstSportz — looked every bit the franchise cornerstone against Atlanta.
A tougher test waits now. New England’s defense logged three sacks and an interception against the Jets. And the Patriots have been one of the league’s most disciplined units during their three-game winning streak.
Drake Maye Has the Patriots Looking Like Contenders
Maye’s growth has driven New England’s season. Against the Jets on Sunday, he completed 18 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns, with DeMario Douglas, Hunter Henry and Romeo Doubs each catching a scoring pass, according to FirstSportz.
New England’s three-game winning streak includes division wins over Buffalo and New York, and Maye — who played in the Super Bowl in his young career, per FirstSportz — is playing with poise well beyond his experience. Thursday night is his first prime-time road test of the season, in one of the league’s most hostile environments.
Here’s the selling point: Maye, the polished pocket passer on a three-game heater, against Williams, the improvisational No. 1 pick finding his form at home. SI’s opening odds made Chicago a slight favorite, and one national prediction has Chicago edging it 27-24.
Rest of NFL Week 7: Paris Makes History, Chiefs Visit Seattle
Thursday night is only the appetizer. Sunday opens with history — the first NFL game ever played in France’s capital — as Aaron Rodgers and the 4-2 Pittsburgh Steelers face Tyler Shough and the 2-4 New Orleans Saints at 9:30 a.m. ET at Stade de France in Paris, airing on NFL Network, according to NBC Sports.
Here’s the rest of the Week 7 slate, per NBC Sports and SI:
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET window: Bengals (3-2) at Ravens (4-2), Colts (2-4) at Vikings (5-0) — Minnesota chases its first 6-0 start since 2009 — 49ers (6-0) at Falcons (2-4), Buccaneers at Panthers, Giants at Texans, Dolphins at Jets, Browns at Titans. Late window: Packers (4-2) at Lions (3-2) in a key NFC North battle, Rams (2-4) at Raiders (3-3), Broncos at Cardinals. Sunday Night Football: Chiefs (5-0) at Seahawks (3-3) — the unbeaten champs visit Seattle, where former Seahawk Kenneth Walker returns. Monday Night Football: Cowboys at Eagles.
Injury watch: Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield are both uncertain for Week 7 after missing the last few games and not practicing ahead of Week 6, per SI.
Read our earlier coverage: NFL Week 6 Sunday results and scores and Drake Maye’s five-touchdown rout of the Raiders.
FAQ: Patriots vs. Bears Thursday Night Football
What time is Patriots vs. Bears on Thursday night?
Kickoff is Thursday, October 22, at 8:15 p.m. ET at Soldier Field in Chicago, and Amazon Prime Video streams the game.
Who is favored in Patriots vs. Bears?
Chicago is a 2.5-point home favorite, with a 49.5-point over/under, according to DraftKings Sportsbook odds reported by Sports Illustrated.
When did Caleb Williams and Drake Maye last play each other?
Williams and Maye — the Nos. 1 and 3 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft — met once as rookies, with Maye’s Patriots beating Williams’ Bears 19-3. Thursday is their second NFL meeting, and the teams’ first matchup since November 2024.
What are the Patriots’ and Bears’ records?
Both teams are 4-2. New England has won three straight, including wins over Buffalo and New York, while Chicago comes in off a 31-23 win over Atlanta in Williams’ first start since Week 2.
