The NFL season is in full swing. While there are still many games to play, season outlooks are starting to solidify for certain teams. Heading into Week 7, the Patriots and Bears are both 4-2 for the season. However, that record is a bit different based on their division standings. While the Patriots are just one game behind the Bills in the AFC East, the Bears are tied with the Packers behind the undefeated Vikings. Only one team can come out on top this week.

Can Chicago keep up with the undefeated Vikings in the NFC North? Will the Patriots be able to leapfrog the Bills in the AFC East while they're off this week? You won't want to miss what happens next. This Thursday's football matchup has one premium streaming option, but there are a few ways you can catch it for free if you're not looking to sign up for any more streaming services.

What Time Is the New England Patriots vs. Chicago Bears Game?

The New England Patriots and Chicago Bears will go head-to-head on Thursday, October 22nd at 8:15 p.m. ET at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.

How to Watch the New England Patriots vs. Chicago Bears Game

This game will be broadcast on Amazon Prime, which means you'll need an active subscription to Prime Video if you want to watch this game. As the Thursday Night Football game of the week, it will not be broadcast on traditional cable or available on a live TV streaming service. NFL+ does let you watch local and primetime games from a phone or tablet.

How to Watch the New England Patriots vs. Chicago Bears for Free

Don't want to subscribe to another streaming service to watch the game? The Patriots vs. Bears game will stream for free on 7Plus in Australia, and you may be able to access it using a virtual private network (VPN).

A VPN lets you virtually travel the world by connecting to servers in other countries and spoofing your geographic location. This method should let you access geo-restricted content, such as NFL games broadcast outside of your direct market. We recommend using Express VPN, our top VPN pick for location spoofing. With servers across the globe, ExpressVPN lets you spoof your location and unlock the New England Patriots vs. Chicago Bears game for free viewing.

Follow these steps to stream the Patriots vs. Bears game with a VPN:

• Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN).
• Download the VPN app on your preferred device.
• Connect to a server in Australia.
• Visit 7plus (or another live streaming option) and start watching.

Note: If you're asked to add a postal code during sign-up, enter a postal code for the region where you want to connect your server to avoid disruption.

The best VPN services that let you connect to a server in another region usually aren't free. However, many VPNs also offer a free trial for first-time users. If you can take advantage of that, you’ll be able to watch a number of NFL games online without paying a dime.