For the third straight game, the Bears encounter a team that entered a rebuilding program under a new coach since Chicago began its own rebuild under coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles.
The first two games in the stretch didn't quite indicate the Bears' rebuild has gone as well as Washington's and Arizona's.
The New England Patriots have turned over nine starters since last season and barely resemble the team Eberflus' Bears routed in 2022 for their most impressive won of only three victories that season.
The most obvious difference is Bill Belichick's departure, with former Belichick assistant and Patriots player Jerod Mayo taking over the team.
They didn't turn too far from the "Patriot way" to rebuild but the one thing they must get right is the key ingredient and that's quarterback. It's what differentiated their Super Bowl-winning seasons from those of other teams.
Quarterback Drake Maye was the third pick in the draft and has a slightly higher passer rating (85.1) than Bears QB Caleb Williams (83.0), although he has started only half the total of games Williams has. Maye adds the run threat that the Bears have faced the last three games with Trevor Lawrence, Jayden Daniels and Kyler Murray.
"Yeah, we've had our work cut out for us the past couple of weeks with that," linebacker T.J. Edwards said. "This guy is very talented. He can do things with his legs and also very strong arm too so we are excited.
"We are going to go out there and put our best foot forward and go challenge these guys, go make plays and get back to kind of what we've been doing to start the season."
The Patriots looked improved last week over several earlier efforts in a road game they nearly won, losing in overtime to the Titans.
Here are the Patriots who can pose the biggest threat to the Bears.
1. QB Drake Maye
Maye has a strong arm, there is no doubt. He might have had the strongest arm in the draft this year. But it's his legs the Bears need to be really concerned about after the way they've had trouble stopping the run. Maye ran for 95 yards last week and 46 the previous game, the most the Patriots have ever had from a QB in back-to-back games. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, he's a threat to break tackles and run around tacklers. The Bears didn't handle the run/pass threat from Washington's Jayden Daniels well, and they didn't need to do it against Arizona because they didn't make Kyler Murray work much last week. Maye's accuracy hasn't been a problem so far, the way it is so often for rookies. He has completed 65.6% but he's throwing checkdowns under the coverage for 6.2 yards an attempt while facing deficits, and it's easier to be accurate then.
2. TE Hunter Henry
The Bears couldn't stop Zach Ertz two weeks ago and while they held Trey McBride to three catches and 35 yards last week they also gave up a key rushing TD to him and all of his catches were important. Henry always has a knack for finding open spots but his real strength compared to other tight ends is making bigger gains on his catches. He has a career 11.6-yard average. His 73.6% ratio for catches to targets is the best of his career.
3. RB Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson already has more touchdowns rushing this season than in any of his four Patriots seasons as they have recommitted to gaining yards on the ground. This can't be good news for a struggling Bears run defense. Stevenson is a tough downhill runner at 6-foot, 227 pounds, much like Arizona's James Conner. And he also a threat to catch passes with 23 so far, although for only 99 yards. He averages 3.8 yards a rush and has 438 rushing yards.
4. RB Antonio Gibson
Gibson gives them a 1-2 rushing punch much like the Bears faced with Jacksonville. At 6-foot, 228, he can be as tough to handle as Stevenson if he builds up some momentum and has always been a threat to take it the distance with his 4.39-second speed in the 40-yard dash. Gibson is averaging 4.1 yards a carry for 57 attempts as the backup but he's as much of a threat to take it the distance as Emari Demercado as last week and the Bears obviously had trouble stopping the Cardinals backup.
5. PR Marcus Jones
The Patriots special teams can pose a real threat considering kicker Joey Slye has range up to 63 yards but their biggest threat is their punt returner. Jones is averaging 15.6 yards a return for 17 returns, with a 62-yard long. Jones led the NFL in return yardage in 2022 as a rookie and this year is only 96 yards short of his total for that season. Jones is a 5-8, 188-pound cornerback who was All-Pro in 2022 as a returner.
6. CB Jonathan Jones
One of the better slot cornerbacks several years ago and he moved to the outside but hasn't been quite as effective. Still, he's their most consistent performer against the pass despite a 124.3 passer rating against when targeted and two touchdown passes allowed according to Stathead/Pro Football Reference. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound DB has been with the Patriots since 2018 and has had only two passer ratings against higher than 94.0. He has four pass breakups.
7. DE Keion White
The 6-foot-5, 285-pound second-year player has stepped forward in the last two games after producing only one sack in his first 23 games. He has four sacks in the last two games and uses a combination of speed and power to pressure. He already has five more pressures (18) than he had in his entire rookie year of 2023.
8. Edge Anfernee Jennings
The 2020 third-round pick from Alabama is 6-3, 255 and is adept at protecting the edge as a run defender, although his pass rushing grades have been lower. Pro Football Focus has him graded as the seventh best run defender among edge players. He only has half a sack this season and three for his four-year career but has been in on 44 tackles.
