Chicago Bears vs. New England Patriots: 5 things to watch in Week 7

LAKE FOREST – Since they beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX during the 1985 season, the Bears are 1-8 against the Patriots. They’ve lost five consecutive games against New England. Their last win came in December 2000.

On Monday night, the Bears (2-4) and the Patriots (3-3) will square off at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. With a win, Patriots coach Bill Belichick would pass longtime Bears coach George Halas for second place on the all-time wins list for head coaches, trailing only Don Shula’s 347 wins.

Monday’s game kicks off at 7:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN, with the alternate “ManningCast” available on ESPN2. Here are five things to watch Monday.

1. Belichick vs. Getsy

Belichick does a great job of picking out what an opposing offense does well and trying to take that away. His defenses force teams to be uncomfortable.

Well, the one thing the Bears do well is run the football. Expect Belichick to zero in on running backs David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. If the Patriots can find success against the run on first and second down, they’ll force quarterback Justin Fields to have to make big plays with his arm.

If Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy decides to take what the Patriots are giving them, Fields could wind up throwing more in this game than he has in previous matchups. That could be a good thing, but it also could be a major test.

2. The ‘hot hand’

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said this week that his team will “go with the hot hand” at running back. Montgomery returned to a starting role after missing a game and a half with an ankle injury, but Khalil Herbert has remained involved.

Statistically, Herbert has been the more efficient back. He’s averaging 6.4 yards per carry compared to Montgomery’s 4 yards per carry. On almost equal rushing attempts (63 for Herbert, 62 for Montgomery), Herbert has 402 yards and three touchdowns compared with Montgomery’s 246 yards and one touchdown.

The “hot hand” appears to be Herbert.

Still, last week against Washington, Montgomery earned twice as many snaps and twice as many carries as Herbert. Montgomery is a better pass catcher and a better pass blocker, which certainly plays into his favor. But it’s within the realm of possibility that the carries are closer to even this week between the two.

3. The Patriots QB

The Patriots drafted quarterback Mac Jones with the 15th overall pick in 2021, four spots behind where the Bears took Fields. Jones helped New England return to the playoffs with a 10-7 record during his rookie season.

After starting the first three games of the season, Jones has been sidelined for two games with an ankle injury. In his place, rookie fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe has played well. Zappe is 2-0 as the starter and has thrown for 596 yards with four touchdowns and one interception in 2 1/2 games.

Jones is ready to come back this week, per a report from ESPN, but the Patriots haven’t announced a starter yet. It would be a surprise for Belichick to go with Zappe, but the rookie certainly has played well.

4. Changes on the Bears’ O-line?

The Bears have reevaluated everything over their 11-day break between games. Now it’s time to see if all that evaluation leads to any significant changes. The No. 1 place to zero in on is the offensive line.

Lucas Patrick was hard on himself this week, stating that he hasn’t played up to his standard. Patrick has played both guard positions. Sam Mustipher also has struggled in pass protection at center. With guard Cody Whitehair still sidelined with a knee injury, the Bears might have to make a change on the interior.

Will this be the week that the Bears finally move Patrick back to center? The Bears signed him to play center, but injuries on the line have forced him to play other spots during the first six weeks. If the Bears do make the move now, who takes over at left guard? Veteran backup Michael Schofield could be in the mix.

5. Slowing Stevenson and Harris

The Bears’ defense is allowing 163 rushing yards per game, which ranks 29th among 32 NFL teams. Teams have had no trouble running against the Bears, and the Patriots have two pretty good running backs to lean on.

New England’s offense ranks 10th with 131.3 rushing yards per game. Running back Damien Harris started the first five games before missing last week’s contest with a hamstring injury. Second-year back Rhamondre Stevenson arguably has looked better as a change of pace and in relief of Harris last week.

Stevenson is averaging 5.1 yards per carry and has totaled 448 yards and three touchdowns this season. Look for Belichick to lean heavily on his backs and try to minimize mistakes against the Bears defense.