The New England Patriots' matchup against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night will be among the team's biggest tests of the season.
New England has been hot in recent weeks, riding a three-game winning streak. In that same span, quarterback Drake Maye has scored 11 total touchdowns and thrown just one interception.
But can the Patriots continue that momentum into Thursday night? Here are five of the most important players to watch who could dictate whether or not New England will pull off the win.
DT Milton Williams
The Patriots' run defense has its work cut out on Sunday. Chicago averages the most rushing yards per game in the NFL, with north of 160. However, New England has succeeded in the same department this season. Its 91.8 yards allowed on the ground per game is the ninth-best mark in the NFL.
So, how can the Patriots slow down the Bears' run attack? Enter Williams. After a relatively slow start to the season, New England's star interior defensive lineman has plugged the middle of the field in recent weeks.
"I appreciate what Milt does -- his leadership, his efforts and his impact," Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said Monday. "I know that every player wants great stats, but to be able to be disruptive, to play hard and do some of those things that he does and has continued to do in the last three weeks have really helped us defensively."
WR A.J. Brown
In his first game back from injured reserve last weekend, Brown disappointed. The 29-year-old dropped a career-worst three passes on Sunday. Although he was finding himself open on a consistent basis, the former Philadelphia Eagle simply had a case of the drops.
But now, with fellow receivers Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs on injured reserve, New England may need a high-level performance from Brown on Thursday.
"I think he could've probably made a few more plays, come down with a few more plays," Vrabel told reporters Sunday. "He's been out for a while. I know that he wanted to do well for his football team, and unfortunately it wasn't his best effort. I know that he knows that, and we have all the confidence in the world in A.J. just to be able to finish those plays."
OT Will Campbell
After struggling toward the end of his 2025 campaign, Campbell has shined for the Patriots in his second year. The 22-year-old allowed just one pressure last weekend against the New York Jets, per PFF. Plus, he has allowed just one sack all season. The Bears' defense has tallied tallied the fifth-most sacks in the NFL with 17. With a difficult opponent across the line, another shutdown performance from Maye's blindside protector would be invaluable.
"Just doing everything I can to try to get my body in the best space possible, which I would do anyway," Campbell said on Tuesday. "Just excited. I like these types of weeks. It's fun. A primetime game against a really good team. It's gonna be awesome."
EDGE Elijah Ponder
This season, Ponder has been one of the NFL's best edge rushers. The 2025 undrafted free agent sits top-three in the league in sacks (5.5) and tackles for a loss (8). On Thursday, he may be the biggest deciding-factor in whether or not the Patriots can win.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was a lethal 24-for-24 from clean pockets last week, per Next Gen Stats. If New England struggles to get pressure on Chicago's third-year signal caller, the game could get out of reach quickly.
G Walter Rouse, Matt Pryor
The Patriots have dealt with a plethora of interior offensive line injuries this season. Starting right guard Mike Onwenu landed on injured reserve, while left-side starter Alijah Vera-Tucker suffered a hamstring injury on Thursday and has since been ruled out against the Bears. Plus, backup Ben Brown has also been ruled out with a knee injury.
That leaves reserves Walter Rouse and Matt Pryor as New England's two starters on Thursday. In 27 combined pass blocking snaps last week, neither allowed a pressure. While it's a large ask for them to replicate that performance again, a high-level performance from the interior offensive line could play a major role in boosting the Patriots to a win.
"It was fun to watch those guys take advantage of the opportunity," Vrabel said on Tuesday when asked about Rouse and Pryor. "They helped us. There was a huge drive at the end of the game, to go down there and be able to take time off of the clock."
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