Two 4-2 teams clash at Soldier Field, with Caleb Williams chasing rare passing company.
The New England Patriots (4-2) bring a three-game winning streak into Thursday night. The Chicago Bears (4-2) have won one straight, their most recent a 31-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.
Game details
| When | Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 8:15 PM ET |
| Where | Soldier Field |
| TV | Prime Video |
| Line | Chicago Bears -3 | O/U 50.5 (market view) |
| New England Patriots record | 4-2 |
| Chicago Bears record | 4-2 |
The matchup
According to NFL game notes, Caleb Williams is closing in on some rare company. He now has 50 career touchdown passes and is just the third quarterback ever, joining Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, to reach that number with 15 or fewer career interceptions (14). He got there by completing 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown in Week 6, good for a 111.2 rating.
Drake Maye is doing his own damage. He threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns with a 110.8 rating in Week 6 and is now going for his fourth straight game with 235-plus passing yards and three-plus touchdown passes. New England has won three straight, including a 45-17 blowout of the Las Vegas Raiders and a 29-26 win over the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots' only loss in their past five games was a 6-35 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3, before the current win streak began. Chicago's win streak sits at one game, coming after a 7-31 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 5.
Key matchups
Hunter Henry is chasing his third straight game with a receiving touchdown, and that's a problem for a Bears defense that just gave up a touchdown to Colston Loveland in Week 6. On the other side, D'Andre Swift is going for his third consecutive game with a rushing score, while Rhamondre Stevenson has posted 70-plus scrimmage yards with a rushing touchdown in two of his last three outings for New England.
Up front, Elijah Ponder is tied for third in the NFL with 5.5 sacks and is chasing his sixth straight game with at least half a sack, which puts real pressure on a Patriots offensive line already banged up. Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones give New England a pair of corners who've each had a pass defensed in three of their past four games, a tough draw for Luther Burden III, who just posted a season-high eight catches for 95 yards in Week 6.
Injuries that matter
New England is without cornerbacks Carlton Davis III (neck) and Karon Prunty (hamstring). A.J. Brown (ankle), TreVeyon Henderson (ankle), Christian Elliss (chest), Craig Woodson (shoulder) and Channing Canada (hamstring) are all questionable, and both starting tackles, Marcus Bryant and Will Campbell, are questionable with ankle and knee issues, respectively.
Chicago is dealing with its own absences. Kyle Monangai is out with a thumb injury, T.J. Edwards is out with a hamstring injury and Keyshaun Elliott is out with a quadricep injury, while Dayo Odeyingbo is also out with a quadricep issue. Caleb Williams is questionable with a hamstring injury, and Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson Sr. are both questionable as well.
Fantasy angles
Drake Maye projects for 21.5 DraftKings points and is the top play on this slate given his current form. Caleb Williams checks in at 20.5 points but carries the questionable tag with a hamstring injury worth watching.
D'Andre Swift projects for 13.5 points and is chasing his third straight game with a rushing touchdown, making him a strong flex option. Kyle Monangai was projected at 12.5 points but is out, so he's off the board entirely.
Luther Burden III projects for 11.5 points off his season-high 95-yard day, while DeMario Douglas sits at 11.0 points after a 7-catch, 86-yard, one-touchdown Week 6 and is going for his third straight game with 65-plus receiving yards and a score.
Rhamondre Stevenson rounds out the group at 10.5 points and has delivered 70-plus scrimmage yards with a rushing touchdown in two of his last three games.
The pick
The market has Chicago favored by 3.0 with a total of 50.5, and the market score sits at Bears 27, Patriots 24. Caleb Williams' questionable status is the wild card, but the Bears' home crowd and Chicago's 31-23 win last week give them a slight edge in a game that should come down to whichever offense finishes drives in the red zone rather than settling for field goals.
Injury report
| Player | Team | Pos | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. Brown | New England Patriots | WR | Questionable |
| Marcus Bryant | New England Patriots | OT | Questionable |
| Will Campbell | New England Patriots | OT | Questionable |
| TreVeyon Henderson | New England Patriots | RB | Questionable |
| Channing Canada | New England Patriots | CB | Questionable |
| Carlton Davis III | New England Patriots | CB | Out |
| Christian Elliss | New England Patriots | LB | Questionable |
| Karon Prunty | New England Patriots | CB | Out |
| Craig Woodson | New England Patriots | S | Questionable |
| Kyle Monangai | Chicago Bears | RB | Out |
| Caleb Williams | Chicago Bears | QB | Questionable |
| T.J. Edwards | Chicago Bears | LB | Out |
| Keyshaun Elliott | Chicago Bears | LB | Out |
| Kyler Gordon | Chicago Bears | CB | Questionable |
| Dayo Odeyingbo | Chicago Bears | DE | Out |
| Tyrique Stevenson Sr. | Chicago Bears | CB | Questionable |
Projected starters
| Pos | New England Patriots | Chicago Bears |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Drake Maye | Caleb Williams |
| RB | Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson | D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai |
| WR | — | Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond |
| TE | Hunter Henry | Colston Loveland |
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| New England Patriots | Wk6 W 26-19 vs New York Jets, Wk5 W 45-17 vs Las Vegas Raiders, Wk4 W 29-26 vs Buffalo Bills |
| Chicago Bears | Wk6 W 31-23 vs Atlanta Falcons, Wk5 L 7-31 vs Green Bay Packers, Wk4 W 23-12 vs New York Jets |
More league notes: Week 7 NFL Preview & Capsules, from the NFL.
Written by Rhett Zone, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores, box scores, injuries and depth charts). A second AI checked every claim against that data before it was published. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.