Subscribe
Follow Us
The New England Patriots have turned things around after their slow start to the season. They have won their past two contests against the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns, giving them some momentum heading into their Week 7 matchup against the Chicago Bears. With Week 7 fast approaching, we decided to lay out our Patriots Week 7 predictions.
The last three weeks of football in New England have been about one thing and one thing only; Bailey Zappe. The 2022 fourth-round pick has filled in admirably with Mac Jones and Brian Hoyer dealing with injuries, and he has helped change the outlook of the Patriots season in the blink of an eye. But now Jones seems to be expecting to play against the Bears, which would send Zappe back to the bench.
Either way, the Patriots look to be better on paper than the Bears, who have looked horrible on offense for long stretches of the season. Despite that, they have remained competitive throughout the season, and shouldn't be expected to roll over and die in this game. With that in mind, let's jump into the predictions for this upcoming game and see whether New England should be expected to come out on top.
Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)
3. The Patriots defense will sack Justin Fields six times
Through six games this season, the Bears have allowed quarterback Justin Fields to be sacked 23 times, which is tied for the most in the league with the Washington Commanders. Meanwhile, the Patriots defense has racked up 17 sacks so far this season, which is tied for seventh in the league. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume Fields could be running for his life most of this game.
Fields has avoided more sacks thanks to his ability to extend plays with his legs, but going up against head coach Bill Belichick is a different animal. Belichick will be prepared for Fields' mobility, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him stick a spy on Fields throughout this game in order to keep him in the pocket. If Fields can't escape, he's going to get very familiar with the turf at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots defense has come to life in the past two weeks, allowing just 15 total points during that span. Part of that has been due to their pass rush, which has been a constant presence in their opponent's backfield. Matthew Judon will lead the way with two sacks on the day, and in total, the Patriots will bury Fields in the backfield six times in this game, adding to the Bears offensive struggles.
2. Patriots QB Mac Jones will throw three touchdowns in his return to the field
Article Continues Below
As previously mentioned, Jones is expected to make his return to the field for Week 7 after watching Zappe take things over for the past three games. There has been a lot of drama unfolding in Jones' absence, whether it be rumors about him disagreeing with the Patriots recommended treatment of his ankle injury, reports he has an inflated ego, or Zappe's strong play, that will put pressure on him to perform in his return to the field.
The Bears defense isn't bad per se, but the Patriots offense has begun to figure things out recently, and with their defense playing their part on the other end of things, Jones will have a lot of wiggle room in this game. If the ground game can get going, Jones could be in for a big day.
It won't be the best outing of his career, but Jones will toss three touchdowns in his return to the field to help guide the Patriots to a win. Jones will find DeVante Parker in the end zone twice, and Jakobi Meyers for the third score, ensuring he will quiet the reports of his demise in New England. If Jones ends up being unable to go, though, it would be wise to expect a similar type of performance from Zappe.
1. The Patriots will romp the Bears, winning 45-10
This game will feature two fairly strong defenses going up against offensive units with some big question marks. And while that could lead to this game being surprisingly close, it's clear the Patriots question marks on offense are a lot different than the ones the Bears are facing. Chicago is about to find that out the hard way on Monday night.
Jones will have a solid outing, and he will be helped out by another two-touchdown outing from Rhamondre Stevenson in the backfield. Marcus Jones will score New England's sixth touchdown of the day on a 61-yard punt return, ensuring that this game is never really close.
Fields will score the Bears only touchdown of the day on the ground himself, but by then, the Patriots will already scored 31 points. We have seen New England's defense shut down offenses far better than Chicago's, and it feels like their offense is getting back on track with Jones set to return. Belichick will pass Bears legend George Halas in all-time coaching wins after tying him last week, and the Patriots will improve their record on the season to 4-3.
