A pivotal Week 7 matchup awaits the Chicago Bears. After securing a bounce back win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, the Bears will face the surging New England Patriots on Thursday night. Both teams are hoping to improve to 5-2 on the season, though the Patriots have the benefit of playing in a weak division. The Bears, on the other hand, are fighting just to tread water in the hyper-competitive NFC North.

Beyond the win-loss record, there's a lot riding on this game for some players. This is a 'revenge game' for Garrett Bradbury, who was traded to Chicago shortly after the Patriots' Super Bowl run. Kevin Byard III was not re-signed in Chicago after his All-Pro season, and he ended up signing with the Patriots. For Caleb Williams, he'll be looking for vengeance against Drake Maye and the Patriots for that 19-3 loss he endured in his rookie season, a game in which he was sacked nine times.

But that's all in the past. Both teams hired new head coaches after the 2024 season and are now considered Super Bowl contenders. With that said, let's take a look at what the Bears need to do to stay in the win column.

1. Win the Time-of-Possession battle by at least 10 minutes

The Bears proved last week that the best way to stop an offensive superstar is to simply keep the ball out of his hands. By racing out to an early 14-point lead, the Bears forced the Falcons to lean on their passing game. Superstar running back Bijan Robinson, therefore, was almost a complete nonfactor. The Patriots' superstar is their quarterback, so the only way to keep the ball out of his hands is to hold onto it for as long as possible.

This will take a full team effort. Ben Johnson needs to have the correct game-plan ready. Williams must be sharp and accurate in his passes to keep the clock running. The offensive line needs to open up running lanes and the running backs will have to be ready to hit those holes. Keep the clock running on long touchdown drives and don't give the Patriots enough chances to score.

2. Take the ball away at least twice

All offseason, NFL fans and analysts said that the 2026 Bears would face a steep regression in takeaways, but we have yet to see that materialize. They're tied for third in the NFL with nine takeaways through six games, fueled in part by Kyler Gordon's historic Week 6 performance. That poses a big problem for the Patriots, who have seen quarterback Drake Maye already throw seven interceptions (in fairness, all seven came in his first four games).

This is a great opportunity for the Bears to add to their takeaway total, and we already know that Williams doesn't turn the ball over very often. Taking the ball away from Maye and the Patriots at least twice should therefore seal a comfortable Bears victory.

3. Win the quarterback battle

This almost goes without saying, but given the link between Williams and Maye, it's worth mentioning. Maye was selected two spots after Williams in the 2024 NFL draft and fell just short of winning the NFL MVP award last season, fueling the narrative that the Bears drafted the wrong quarterback. Williams would doubtlessly like to set the record straight, and beating Maye in a head-to-head contest would go a long way towards doing that.

Both teams are led by quarterbacks who can absolutely dominate NFL defenses on any given Sunday, and, likewise, both defenses are susceptible to being dominated on occasion. At the end of the day, no matter what else happens, this is a game that is going to be decided by whichever quarterback has the cleaner, more efficient, and more explosive game.

Final Prediction: Bears win 31-27

This game is about as close to a pure toss-up as the Bears are going to get this offseason, as each team seems like a mirrored image of the other. Both are led by young, superstar quarterbacks. Both offenses have exciting playmakers and the defenses are opportunistic. I believe this one is going to come down to which team will be better coached, and in that regard I give a slight edge to Ben Johnson.

At the end of a back-and-forth contest, the Bears will march down the field for a go-ahead touchdown to take a four-point lead. Unfortunately for the Patriots, there won't be enough time left on the clock to mount a serious effort to steal a win, and Chicago will go into their mini-bye at 5-2 and a strong wind in their sails.