Chicago Bears: What to expect in Week 7 game vs. Patriots

After a disappointing loss in Week 6, the Chicago Bears lick their wounds before going on primetime once again against the New England Patriots. The Chicago Bears had a lot to deal with over the last 11 days. They had a chance to get their offense on track against a struggling Washington Commanders team.

Instead, they laid another egg and suffered another disappointing loss. It raised a number of new and old questions about this season.

Chicago Bears facing a bunch of question marks as midway of the 2022 season draws near

After a nice 2-1 start, Chicago has now lost three straight games. They now stand at 2-4 heading into Week 7 NFL action and the negativity surrounding them is growing. The offense is still struggling, the defense still hasn’t played a complete game, and the special teams unit has had blunders that helped cause two losses. It’s been a downward spiral for nearly a month.

Now the Bears travel to Foxboro to take on the New England Patriots. The Pats have had their own troubles, but it looks as if they are figuring things out. They are winners of two straight games and their record now stands at an even 3-3.

New England’s starting quarterback Mac Jones hurt his ankle and has missed the last three weeks. Brian Hoyer was the backup but he struggled in his only start. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick then decided to go with third-string Bailey Zappe and found some success. Zappe is undefeated in both of his starts.

It looks as if Zappe is starting this game. With a struggling Chicago Bears team, Belichick figures he can give Jones another week off and not pay for it. Additionally, it delays a big decision — whether he stays with Zappe or bench him and play Jones again.

The Bears played the first game of Week 6 and now play the final game of Week 7. Let’s hope they took the mini-bye to heart and made adjustments in play-calling or personnel so they have a chance at winning this game. Here are some things to watch for in this game.