Monday Night Football comes to Gillette Stadium in Week 7. The Bears are really struggling right now, trying to find any sort of offensive identity as the Patriots surge. They do have a decent running game, but based on the way the Patriots front shut down Nick Chubb last week, they were able to erase that component of the offense. It flipped everything on Jacoby Brissett. Pretty much the same game plan headed into this week against Justin Fields and his crew.
Big games for Matt Judon and Kyle Dugger
Matt Judon sacked Detroit’s Jared Goff twice on Sunday, as the Pats blanked the NFL’s highest-scoring offense. (Photo by Nick Grace/Getty Images)
Look for them to get after Justin Fields, another big game from Matt Judon. You know, the improvement of Kyle Dugger and the way the safeties have played and the way they hit should bode well for this Patriots defense. I think it’s a really good matchup. It’s a big spread, but Patriots should take care of business regardless of who the quarterback is.
Another week of Zappe fever?
CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 16: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots talks to Bailey Zappe #4 of the New England Patriots during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on October 16, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
My thoughts on the quarterback, if Mac Jones isn’t 100%, you roll with Bailey Zappe. Don’t turn the applecart over if it’s rolling pretty good. Right now, he’s got a good feel for the game. Matt Patricia has done a nice job putting him in situations to not push the game for him, but just manage the game and he’s doing a good job at protecting the football. He spreads the ball around, tight ends got involved, Davante Parker got the catch last week. You’re probably going to be down Kendrick Bourne and who knows about Nelson Agholor, so another big chance for the rookie Tyquan Thornton to step up in this game.
Offense needs to stop the reoccurring penalties
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
The offensive line has really played well as of late. Still need to clean up some of the stupid penalties. One thing they need to do on offense is eliminate many of these penalties that are reoccurring. The holds, the false starts, all of that and Isaiah Wynn needs to get it cranked up and he’s probably going to lose some of the playing time to Marcus Cannon and justifiably so.
Final score prediction
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 09: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks onward during the second half against the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium on October 09, 2022 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)
Patriots – 24
Bears – 13