Week 7 of the 2026 NFL season begins when the New England Patriots visit the Chicago Bears for a primetime matchup at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday at Soldier Field. After starting the year 1-2 and averaging 12 points per game, the Patriots (4-2) have won three straight, averaging 33.3 points per game as quarterback Drake Maye finds his groove. In his last three games, he has 10 touchdown passes, 1 interception and 2 sacks, after totaling 1 touchdown, 6 interceptions and 9 sacks through the first three weeks. Star receiver AJ Brown returned from injured reserve last week after suffering a sprained ankle in Week 1, but he got off to a slow start with three catches for 27 yards. Following his offseason trade from the Philadelphia Eagles, Brown has just 53 receiving yards on 83 plays this season. The Bears also got a star back on offense last week, as Caleb Williams returned from a hamstring injury suffered in Week 2. The injury did not land him on the injured list, but he missed three games. He was sensational in his return, completing a career-high 83.3% of his passes and throwing a highlight-reel touchdown to tight end Colston Loveland, the tight end’s first score of the season. Follow Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as two of the top three 2024 NFL Draft picks square off on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 7, streaming on Prime Video. Live updates 17 on Friday, October 23. 2026 12:42 AM UTCKari AndersonThat was a tough challenge for D’Andre Swift, who appeared to take a helmet to the knee from Christian Elliss. Swift was able to get up and walk to the bench, although he seemed to move cautiously; there was a visible tear in the left pant leg where the contact appeared to have occurred. No flag was thrown. Fortunately, Swift seems to be doing well. Friday, October 23, 2026 12:40 am UTC Kari Anderson The Patriots defense is called for an offside call, resulting in a five-yard penalty. And then, immediately, the Bears offensive line suffers a false start and another five-yard penalty. Now we’re back where we started, on third and 7; time is a circle. Friday, October 23, 2026 12:34 am UTC Kari Anderson The Patriots make it three and go on the next drive, after two short runs by TreVeyon Henderson and an incomplete pass by Drake Maye. New England decides not to try it on fourth-and-five this time and will instead punt. Friday, October 23, 2026 12:28 am UTC Kari Anderson Chicago kicker Cairo Santos nails a 43-yard field goal to open the scoring at Soldier Field on the Bears’ fourth down. Caleb Williams had an open throw to Kalif Raymond on third down that would have moved the chains, but the pass didn’t connect. It seems like a missed opportunity for the Bears, but they take the lead for now. Friday, October 23, 2026 12:26 am UTC Kari Anderson Friday, October 23, 2026 12:24 am UTC Kari Anderson An ill-timed holding call on the Patriots’ offensive line forces New England into a first down, a steep length they couldn’t cover for the first down. Not even an impressive six-yard one-handed catch from TreVeyon Henderson was enough to make up ground. On fourth-and-five, Mike Vrabel and the Pats opt to go for it on a bold early move, but are unable to convert. Drake Maye is sacked and the Bears will receive the ball at their own 44-yard line. Friday, October 23, 2026 12:15 am UTC Kari Anderson Friday, October 23, 2026 12:15 am UTC Friday, October 23, 2026 12:07 am UTC Kari Anderson In his first home game since the death of Bears legend Mike Ditka, Chicago will honor the team’s former head coach and player throughout the night. Before the game, mascot Staley Da Bear was seen sporting Ditka’s iconic mustache, glasses and vest; other fans also sported the look. Bears players wore a number 89 decal on their helmets in honor of the coach the week after his death. Friday, October 23, 2026 12:00 am UTC Ben Fawkes The Chicago Bears are three-point home favorites against the suddenly red-hot New England Patriots on Thursday night. Chicago welcomed Caleb Williams on Sunday against Atlanta, and the Bears’ offense seemed nearly unstoppable for stretches of the game to build a 31-7 lead, before two late Atlanta goals made the final closer than it should have been. Drake Maye has turned his season around, but he will have his hands full trying to keep up with Chicago’s offense. This total is already up a couple points from their first game, but I expect a big game between two potential playoff teams in this one that tops the 50.5 total. What else do you need to know for Thursday night? Check out our TNF preview, including our picks for key players to watch and the biggest stories in fantasy football. Thursday, October 22, 2026 11:45 pm UTC Kate Magdziuk For the first three weeks of the season, it looked like Drake Maye and the New England Patriots were suffering from a nasty Super Bowl hangover. But the narrative has changed over the last three games, as Maye seems to have found his groove. See his stats for each span: Weeks 1-3 Weeks 4-6 Passing YPG195 YPG292.7 YPG Passing Touchdowns 1 TD10 TD Interceptions 6 INT1 INT Sacks Taken 92 yards per attempt 7.3 YPA 8.5 YPAT Thu, Oct 22, 2026 11:30 pm UTC Jeremy Pond Is there a quarterback in the NFL? Sexier than Maye right now? I don’t think so. Maye has been sensational lately, throwing for 878 yards and 10 touchdowns against just one interception during the Patriots’ three-game winning streak. He’s also the first New England quarterback to have three consecutive games with at least three touchdown passes since Tom Brady, who accomplished the feat in 2017. Maye has surpassed this number in three of his last five starts, so I don’t see what’s stopping him here. His numbers (18 of 35, 235 yards, 3 TDs) against the Jets would have been better if his receivers had made routine sacks, including AJ Brown and the three drops he had in the win. Check out the rest of our favorite bets for TNF, including a pick against the spread. Thursday, October 22, 2026 11:15 pm UTCKate Magdziuk Point Spread: Bears -3Moneyline Odds: Bears -156, Patriots +132 Total Points: Over/Under 50.5 Thursday, October 22, 2026 11:00 pm UTC Kate Magdziuk The Patriots lost 13-10 at Seattle in the opener, when they were in position to kick a game-tying field goal at the end. If that turns out differently, we’ll be having a very different conversation about the Patriots. They have defeated the Steelers and Raiders, both of whom have had good moments this season. They won at the Bills. The win over the Jets may not have been dominant, but they were up 10 points until the final minute. Of course, the Patriots’ season changed when Drake Maye started to heat up. In three games he accumulated 585 yards, one touchdown and six interceptions. In the three games since then he has 878 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception. AJ Brown is back (although Romeo Doubs went on injured reserve with a shoulder injury), so the Patriots offense should continue to flourish. They are ranked No. 7 in the power rankings from No. 11 last week. Meanwhile, the Bears’ 31-23 win over the Falcons wasn’t that close. The Bears faltered in the fourth quarter, turning a 31-7 lead into a one-score game. That’s not ideal, but the way they played for three quarters in Caleb Williams’ return was impressive. Cornerback Kyler Gordon’s strange 2026 took a positive turn. Gordon had missed the offseason and the first five games due to a calf injury, raising questions about his future with the team. In just 17 plays on Sunday, Gordon had three sacks and two forced fumbles. He is the first Bears defensive back with three sacks in a game since Todd Bell in 1983. He is just the second defensive back in NFL history with three sacks and two forced fumbles in a game, joining Rod Kush of the Houston Oilers in 1985, according to the Bears site. His way of playing will be welcome in the Bears defense. The Bears are ranked No. 6 in the power rankings this week, up from No. 8 last week. Thursday, October 22, 2026 10:53 pm UTC With less than 90 minutes left until the Patriots and Bears tip off, each team has announced their inactives for Week 7. Here’s a look: Patriots inactive QB Behren Morton (Emergency 3rd QB) Bears inactive QB Case Keenum (Emergency 3rd QB) Thursday, October 22, 2026 10:30 pm UTC Kate Magdziuk The Chicago Bears released their final injury report on Wednesday, offering fans good and bad news ahead of Thursday night’s matchup. The bad news? The Bears ruled out running back Kyle Monangai for the second straight game with thumb and toe injuries. Monangai suffered the injuries in Week 4, when he had a 30-carry outing with 150 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Starting linebacker TJ Edwards was also listed as “doubtful” with a hamstring injury after missing Week 6. The good news is that the team will have starting right guard Jonah Jackson available, who did not have a final injury designation after being listed as a non-participant in Monday’s guidance. It will be ready by Thursday night. Thursday, October 22, 2026 10:18 pm UTC Kate Magdziuk Just days after Christian González returned from a shoulder injury that kept him out for two games, he has now been downgraded to “questionable” with an illness scheduled for Thursday night, the team announced before the inactive announcements. However, he was seen in warm-ups. It could be that the team is simply doing its due diligence in reporting Gonzalez’s illness even if he is expected to play. We’ll find out soon when the inactives drop at 6:45 pm Eastern time.
