The Chicago Bears kept rolling right along on Thursday night, securing their fifth win of the season over the New England Patriots.
After the victory over New England, the Bears sit at 5-2 and in second place in the NFC North, which is the highest they can finish after this week.
A loss by the Green Bay Packers on Sunday to the Detroit Lions will keep Chicago in that spot going into Week 8, otherwise Chicago will fall to third place.
Now, the Bears will have a long break to rest up ahead of the Week 8 game against the Seattle Seahawks on "Monday Night Football."
But before we turn the page to next week, here's a look back at Week 7 and the Bears players who saw their stocks rise or fall.
Stock up: Caleb Williams
Williams just looks like a different quarterback this season and we mean that in the best way possible.
It's very clear the former No. 1 overall pick has a better command of the offense, better decision-making and much more poise in the pocket. Williams is also showing improved accuracy, which was a major point of emphasis this offseason.
Before the season, the Bears were hoping Williams would give them the green light to be confident in signing him to a massive contract extension next year. So far, he has done just that as he continues to ascend to elite status following his outstanding showing in Week 7.
Stock down: Jaylon Johnson
Johnson had a pair of instances of putrid effort on tackles.
One of them came on a Drake Maye scramble, and the other was on the end-of-half touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson.
Johnson actually held up well in coverage, allowing just one catch on two targets for 14 yards, but that performance is an outlier rather than the norm this season.
The veteran cornerback remains on the fast track to get cut in 2027.
Stock up: Luther Burden
There is no longer any doubt about who the Bears' No. 1 wideout is. Burden entered the game with the most receiving yards on the team and he left with an even bigger lead.
While Burden didn't do much in the second half, his first-half contribution was more than enough and sparked the Bears' offense.
In all, Burden finished with four catches for 130 yards and a score and had long gains of 58 and 24, with the latter coming on his touchdown grab on a screen pass that displayed his electric speed.
As Rome Odunze continues to fail to answer the bell in what is a crucial season for him, Burden is taking that next step.
Stock down: Jordan van den Berg
The Bears planned on relying heavily on van den Berg after the trade of Gervon Dexter, but it appears that faith was misplaced.
The rookie sixth-round pick was a ghost once again on Thursday night, as he didn't record a single stat and played a season-low five snaps.
It was another reminder that the Bears need to make some kind of addition to the interior of the defensive line, which has been as disappointment overall this season.
Stock up: D'Marco Jackson
Pushed into a bigger role once again with T.J. Edwards out due to injury, Jackson was all over the place against the Pats, with the veteran linebacker tallying six tackles and three run stops, according to Pro Football Focus.
Jackson also made what was one of the game's biggest plays when he picked off Drake Maye in the end zone in the second quarter.
After seeing his stellar play on Thursday night, there's no doubt that the Bears have an elite linebackers room with Jackson, Edwards and Devin Bush.
Stock down: Roschon Johnson
Johnson was heavily involved in the offense in Week 6 and had a good game, his fourth-quarter fumble not withstanding.
However, Johnson was barely involved in Week 7. He saw just 10 snaps after playing 27 and 31 in each of the last two games, and he had just two carries for 13 yards and wasn't targeted in the passing game.
Johnson's lack of a role was especially surprising because Bears offensive coordinator Press Taylor just said earlier in the week that Chicago was looking to avoid putting too much on D'Andre Swift's plate in order to keep him fresh for the whole season, yet Swift saw a whopping 26 touches, including 22 carries.
We don't think it was head coach Ben Johnson punishing Johnson for his fumble last week, as the veteran back saw important totes down the stretch after that, so this was likely just the Bears taking advantage of the extra rest Swift will have before Week 8.
Stock up: Colston Loveland
Loveland continues to pick up steam after a lackluster start to the season. His seven catches for 69 yards were both season-highs for him, and he found the end zone for a second straight game.
In his last four games, Loveland has posted 57 receiving yards or more, and he has topped 60 in each of the last two games while also scoring in each contest.
It hasn't been all perfect, though, as Loveland dropped a few passes or else he could have had much more. Even still, the Bears will deal with those as long as Loveland is producing.
Stock down: Kalif Raymond
We're old enough to remember when Raymond was the team's leading receiver after the first three games.
However, a lot has changed since then, as Raymond didn't post a single catch on two targets on Thursday night and he hasn't topped 18 yards in any of the last four games.
To be quite frank, we always figured Raymond was going to revert to the No. 3 wide receiver he was supposed to be after a hot start, so this isn't surprising in the least.
Stock up: Zavion Thomas
Thomas' impact in the return game was felt once again.
Thomas totaled 92 yards on three kickoff returns, but he really shined with his 47-yard return in the second quarter that set Chicago up for a field goal nine plays later.
Now, over his last three games, Thomas has returns of 61 and 47 yards, and he's averaging a healthy 25.7 yards per kick return.
Thomas did have a bad holding penalty on offense, and he still isn't making much of a contribution in that area overall, but we never really expected him to in his first season, anyway.
Stock up: Kyler Gordon
Gordon was an absolute menace for a second straight week.
He tallied another sack, bringing him up to four on the season, which is the second-most on the team, and he added five tackles, including two for loss, and a team-high five run stops. Gordon was only targeted once in coverage and didn't give up a completion.
The Bears were hoping Gordon could provide a jolt to the defense upon his return, and he has done that and then some over two games.
Stock up: Cairo Santos
Santos missed a 50-plus-yard attempt for a second straight game, but he quickly erased that with a clutch field goal near the end of regulation.
Johnson made the gutsy call to give Santos a 58-yard try, even though a miss would have set the Patriots up near midfield with a chance to win the game. It was extra risky because Santos had never made a kick from that far.
However, Santos delivered in a pressure-packed situation, which gives confidence he can be relied upon in the kinds of scenarios the Bears might find themselves in a lot this season.
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