Patriots and Bears Face Off in Week 7 Thursday Night Football

The New England Patriots and the Chicago Bears kick off Week 7 with a Thursday Night Football matchup at Soldier Field, with both franchises seeking their fifth victory of the season. The game is scheduled to start at 8:15 p.m. ET.

The Patriots head into the contest missing a few key contributors. Carlton Davis III remains sidelined due to a neck injury, while center Ben Brown is out after sustaining a knee injury during last Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Additional inactives for New England include Karon Prunty, Channing Canada, Joshua Farmer, and Behren Morton.

There was late concern regarding Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who was downgraded to questionable ahead of kickoff due to an illness. However, team updates confirmed he is active and will play. Meanwhile, wide receiver A.J. Brown is ready to suit up after missing a month with a high ankle sprain suffered in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

The New England offense is adjusting to further changes in the receiving corps. Romeo Doubs, who signed a four-year, $68 million contract in the offseason, was recently placed on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury on a 42-yard touchdown pass against the Jets. Head coach Mike Vrabel has not ruled out the possibility that the injury could end Doubs' season, leaving quarterback Drake Maye to rely on targets like Brown, DeMario Douglas, and tight end Hunter Henry.

On the other side, the Chicago Bears will be without several prominent players. The team's inactive list is headlined by Kyle Monangai and T.J. Edwards, both of whom were ruled out by Wednesday. Monangai continues to recover from a thumb injury and turf toe, marking his third consecutive missed game, while Edwards is sidelined for a second straight week with a hamstring issue. Additional Bears inactives include Case Keenum, Jack Sanborn, Jordan McFadden, Nick McCloud, and Jayden Loving.

Despite missing practice time, Chicago cornerback Tyrique Stevenson enters the game cleared to play after previously carrying a questionable tag. In Monangai's absence, Roschon Johnson will take on the role of running back behind D'Andre Swift. Johnson looks to build on his Week 6 performance, where he recorded 13 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown, alongside two catches for 34 yards, though he aims to clean up ball security after a late fumble last week.

At the linebacker position for Chicago, D'Marco Jackson is slated to step into Edwards' role, with Noah Sewell also seeing increased action behind Devin Bush. Rookie Keyshaun Elliott could potentially see his first defensive snaps of the year as the Bears look to contain New England's offense.