Good morning, Bears fans!
Holy smokes, we’re just one day away from another Bears game.
Fun fact: The Bears only play on two Sundays over the next six weeks and one of those is a Sunday Night Football date. Just in time for all the fall cleanup we have to do.
Yay?
HEADLINES
Jonah Jackson upgraded to ‘limited’
The Bears had another walkthrough on Tuesday, so this is only an estimation. But goodish news for the right guard who left Sunday’s game with a hip and quad injury.
Kyle Monangai and TJ Edwards remain ‘DNP’
I’d be surprised if either of these guys are back on Thursday with an 11-day minibye ahead. On the bright side, Tyrique Stevenson was estimated a full participant after missing Sunday’s game with a hip.
Patriots down Doubs, two starting OL
Noted onside kick specialist Romeo Doubs was placed on IR after injuring his shoulder on a diving 42-yard touchdown catch on Sunday. Mike Vrabel said “probably not” when asked if guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and Ben Brown would be ready for the Bears game.
GAME INFO
Patriots (4-2) at Bears (4-2)
Thursday, 7:15 pm
Soldier Field
Fox 32 • Prime Video • ESPN 1000
Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung
Patriots lead all-time series 11-5
Bears -3, O/U 50.5
Postgame on Bears By 7 YouTube
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THE BIG ITEM
Round 2: Caleb vs. Drake
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I’m not entirely certain what will happen when Caleb Williams and Drake Maye meet on Thursday night for the second time.
But I feel pretty certain Williams won’t be sacked nine times.
And Shane Waldron will likely feel a little something if he takes a break from being an assistant coach for the Jaguars and tunes in.
If you remember correctly, it was Waldron who paid the price for the 19-3 debacle on Nov. 10, 2024. He was fired as the Bears’ offensive coordinator two days later, just nine games into his tenure.
And it was deserved after a performance that saw the Bears offense post 142 total yards against a Patriots team that would fire head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt after just one season.
In addition to being put on his back nine times, Caleb went just 16-of-30 for 120 yards and no scores.
Maye went 15-of-25 for 184 yards, one touchdown and one pick.
Thankfully, both quarterbacks have rebounded from those chaotic rookie seasons to enjoy some of the success that was expected from them when they were selected first and third overall in the 2024 draft.
Maye earned MVP talk during the 2025 season while helping lead the Patriots to a surprise division title with new coach Mike Vrabel and a runner-up spot in the Super Bowl.
Caleb thrived after acclimating himself to Ben Johnson and won both the NFC North and the cover of Madden 2027.
With Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr., JJ McCarthy and Bo Nix all sowing plenty of doubts about their futures, it would appear the battle for the class of 2024 will be fought between Williams and Maye.
Here in Chicago, the assumption is that Caleb will prove himself superior in the long run. It appeared that might happen as soon as this fall with Maye throwing six interceptions over his first three games and Williams exploding with an All-Pro effort in the opener against Carolina.
But then Caleb was hurt in Week 2 and Maye’s performance has rebounded with wins over the Raiders, Bills and Jets as the Patriots moved to 4-2.
It’s great, then, that both quarterbacks are entering this game unencumbered by poor coaching or bad teams.
Like Godfather and Wayne’s World, Round 2 of Williams-Maye should prove to be a sequel superior to the first.
Here’s a look at the career stats of both QBs so far …
Caleb Williams | Stat Category | Drake Maye |
|---|---|---|
37 | Games Played | 36 |
747/1,221 | Comp/Att | 696/1,013 |
61.2 | Completion % | 68.7 |
8,195 | Passing Yards | 8,133 |
50 | Passing TDs | 57 |
14 | Interceptions | 25 |
89.9 | Passer Rating | 101.3 |
101 | Times Sacked | 92 |
982 | Rush Yards | 1,056 |
5 | Rush TDs | 7 |
1-1 | Playoff Record | 3-1 |
THREE STANDOUT STATS
-6
Thanks in part to seven interceptions from Maye, the Patriots rank 30th in turnover differential. The Bears are 19th at -2 with five picks from their QBs. via @BobbyBooshay713
9.4 percent
The Bears’ defensive sack percentage, good for second in the league behind Minnesota. New England is 16th at 6.8 percent. via @CalebBears1
2-9
The Bears’ record against the Patriots since defeating them in Super Bowl XX.
WORTH YOUR TIME
All the Chicago cameos in the Bears’ Hallmark movie. (Tribune)
Maggie Hendricks says they nailed the movie with one exception. (SB Nation)
Khari Thompson says the Bears had a statement game against Atlanta. (Windy City Gridiron)
Old friend Kevin Byard is looking forward to facing Caleb Williams from the other sideline. (Associated Press)
EXTRA POINT
Yep, that’s my quarterback’s Instagram story.
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