Bears need Justin Fields to be more aggressive in Week 2 vs. Buccaneers

But after Week 1's embarrassing loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Bears are back to who the NFL thought they were: the 3-14 team that lost their way to the No. 1 overall pick last year.

Perhaps Week 1's poor showing resulted from the rust that comes with one less preseason game. The entire NFL suffered from a subpar showing, Week 1's yards per pass attempt was the lowest it's been since 1996, and the EPA (expected points added) per play was the lowest in 22 years.

Justin Fields wasn't great, and his box score showed it. He threw for 216 yards, one touchdown and an interception, and another 59 yards rushing. Fields' ho-hum day would've been worse if established franchise quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, who threw for just 82 yards on 31 pass attempts.

Fields' struggles aren't excused because Week 1 as a whole wasn't great for quarterbacks, but it does at least keep the light on for a positive outlook for Chicago's QB1.

The fastest way Justin Fields can reboot his 2023 season is with an explosive showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. And to have that explosive showing, he'll need to take more shots downfield to receivers like DJ Moore.

Fields knows it.

“I felt like I was a little bit too conservative at times during the game,” Fields said of his performance against the Packers from Halas Hall on Wednesday. “Definitely with guys like [receivers] DJ [Moore] and Chase [Claypool] on the outside, if we do have one-on-one on the outside, potentially throwing it up and seeing what happens.

"With them, they’re great playmakers, and they can most likely come up with a 50-50 ball. Definitely want to give them more chances deep down the field.”

Justin Fields will have a chance to take those shots against the Buccaneers defense. Tampa Bay surrendered 328 passing yards in Week 1, which ranked 30th in the NFL.

The Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 2 game will kick off at 12:00 p.m. CST (1:00 p.m. EST) from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

Subscribe to The Bears Talk Podcast: \x3Cp>But after Week 1's embarrassing loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Bears are back to who the NFL thought they were: the 3-14 team that lost their way to the No. 1 overall pick last year.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Perhaps Week 1's poor showing resulted from the rust that comes with one less preseason game. The entire NFL suffered from a subpar showing, Week 1's yards per pass attempt was the lowest it's been since 1996, and the EPA (expected points added) per play was the lowest in 22 years.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Justin Fields wasn't great, and his box score showed it. He threw for 216 yards, one touchdown and an interception, and another 59 yards rushing. Fields' ho-hum day would've been worse if established franchise quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, who threw for just 82 yards on 31 pass attempts.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Fields' struggles aren't excused because Week 1 as a whole wasn't great for quarterbacks, but it does at least keep the light on for a positive outlook for Chicago's QB1.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>The fastest way Justin Fields can reboot his 2023 season is with an explosive showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. And to have that explosive showing, he'll need to take more shots downfield to receivers like DJ Moore.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Fields knows it.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>“I felt like I was a little bit too conservative at times during the game,” Fields said of his performance against the Packers from Halas Hall on Wednesday. “Definitely with guys like [receivers] DJ [Moore] and Chase [Claypool] on the outside, if we do have one-on-one on the outside, potentially throwing it up and seeing what happens. \x3C/p>\x3Cp>\"With them, they’re great playmakers, and they can most likely come up with a 50-50 ball. Definitely want to give them more chances deep down the field.”\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Justin Fields will have a chance to take those shots against the Buccaneers defense. Tampa Bay surrendered 328 passing yards in Week 1, which ranked 30th in the NFL.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>The Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 2 game will kick off at 12:00 p.m. CST (1:00 p.m. EST) from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.\x3C/p>\x3Ch3>Subscribe to The Bears Talk Podcast: \x3Ca href='https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bears-talk-podcast/id1639453795?uo=4\">\x3Cstrong>APPLE \x3C/strong>\x3C/a> | \x3Ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/0EzkBoyoipNsCMD7V7rKyE\">\x3Cstrong>SPOTIFY\x3C/strong>\x3C/a> | \x3Ca href=\"https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3ByZWFrZXIuY29tL3Nob3cvNTYzNjk5Ni9lcGlzb2Rlcy9mZWVk\">\x3Cstrong>GOOGLE\x3C/strong>\x3C/a>\x3C/h3>\x3Cp>\x3Ciframe src=\"https://widget.spreaker.com/player?show_id=5636996&theme=dark&cover_image_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net%2Ft_website_show_cover%2Fimages.spreaker.com%2Foriginal%2F3387c0d2eb4cc1aa6dce768aa31894a1.jpg&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=left&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-logo=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"350px\" frameborder=\"0\">\x3C/iframe>\x3C/p>",excerpt:"Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields knows he has to be more aggressive in Week 2's matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.",featured_image_url:"/api/public/media/2025/07/Fields-Photo-by-Quinn-Harris-Getty-Images-original.jpg",photo_credit:null,status:"published",created_at:"2026-06-23T13:24:34.381588+00:00",author_display_name:"Bryan Perez",author_gravatar_hash:"ce9d5105163cfec1a527c0b2f50332df",author_avatar_url:"/api/public/media/authors/bryanjperez-2026.jpg",category_names:$R[14]=["2023 Season"],tags:$R[15]=["2023-season","chicago-bears","justin-fields","news"],meta_title:null,meta_description:null,og_image_url:null,canonical_url:null,focus_keyword:null,reading_time_minutes:null,is_draft:!1,scheduled_publish_at:null,visibility:"public",is_featured:!1,linkedContent:"\x3Cp>First impressions are hard to shake sometimes. It's why the Chicago Bears are suddenly considered one of the worst teams in the NFL despite an offseason full of optimism after the improvements GM Ryan Poles made to the roster.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>But after Week 1's embarrassing loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Bears are back to who the NFL thought they were: the 3-14 team that lost their way to the No. 1 overall pick last year.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Perhaps Week 1's poor showing resulted from the rust that comes with one less preseason game. The entire NFL suffered from a subpar showing, Week 1's yards per pass attempt was the lowest it's been since 1996, and the EPA (expected points added) per play was the lowest in 22 years.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Justin Fields wasn't great, and his box score showed it. He threw for 216 yards, one touchdown and an interception, and another 59 yards rushing. Fields' ho-hum day would've been worse if established franchise quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, who threw for just 82 yards on 31 pass attempts.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Fields' struggles aren't excused because Week 1 as a whole wasn't great for quarterbacks, but it does at least keep the light on for a positive outlook for Chicago's QB1.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>The fastest way Justin Fields can reboot his 2023 season is with an explosive showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. And to have that explosive showing, he'll need to take more shots downfield to receivers like DJ Moore.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Fields knows it.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>“I felt like I was a little bit too conservative at times during the game,” Fields said of his performance against the Packers from Halas Hall on Wednesday. “Definitely with guys like [receivers] DJ [Moore] and Chase [Claypool] on the outside, if we do have one-on-one on the outside, potentially throwing it up and seeing what happens. \x3C/p>\x3Cp>\"With them, they’re great playmakers, and they can most likely come up with a 50-50 ball. Definitely want to give them more chances deep down the field.”\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Justin Fields will have a chance to take those shots against the Buccaneers defense. Tampa Bay surrendered 328 passing yards in Week 1, which ranked 30th in the NFL.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>The Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 2 game will kick off at 12:00 p.m. CST (1:00 p.m. EST) from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.\x3C/p>\x3Ch3>Subscribe to The Bears Talk Podcast: \x3Ca href='https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bears-talk-podcast/id1639453795?uo=4\">\x3Cstrong>APPLE \x3C/strong>\x3C/a> | \x3Ca href=\"https://open.spotify.com/show/0EzkBoyoipNsCMD7V7rKyE\">\x3Cstrong>SPOTIFY\x3C/strong>\x3C/a> | \x3Ca href=\"https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3ByZWFrZXIuY29tL3Nob3cvNTYzNjk5Ni9lcGlzb2Rlcy9mZWVk\">\x3Cstrong>GOOGLE\x3C/strong>\x3C/a>\x3C/h3>\x3Cp>\x3Ciframe src=\"https://widget.spreaker.com/player?show_id=5636996&theme=dark&cover_image_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net%2Ft_website_show_cover%2Fimages.spreaker.com%2Foriginal%2F3387c0d2eb4cc1aa6dce768aa31894a1.jpg&playlist=show&playlist-continuous=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=left&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-logo=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"350px\" frameborder=\"0\">\x3C/iframe>\x3C/p>",related:$R[16]=[$R[17]={id:"27605881-fd6e-4cde-add2-8d80111316bb",wp_post_id:100000000271,title:"Bears make another jump in ESPN's NFL power rankings as rookie turns heads",slug:"bears-espn-week-8-nfl-power-rankings-2026",wp_link:null,url_date_path:"2026/10/27",published_at:"2026-10-27T14:53:52.018+00:00",updated_at:"2026-10-27T14:53:52.018+00:00",author_login:"bryanjperez",content:"\x3Cp>The Chicago Bears just keep climbing.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>After Thursday night's 30-24 win over the New England Patriots, Chicago moved up two spots in \x3Ca target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/50288293/nfl-power-rankings-week-8-teams-best-offseason-additions\">ESPN's latest NFL power rankings\x3C/a>, continuing its impressive rise despite early-season adversity.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>The Bears are now ranked No. 7 in the NFL, up from No. 9 last week.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>ESPN's latest rankings also gave well-deserved recognition to the Bears' most impressive rookie.\x3C/p>\x3Ch2>Dillon Thieneman named Bears' best offseason addition\x3C/h2>\x3Cp>ESPN's Week 8 Power rankings asked each team's reporter to identify its best offseason addition. For Chicago, Courtney Cronin selected rookie safety Dillon Thieneman.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Thieneman was the Bears' first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and has quickly become one of the best players on the Bears' defense.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Thieneman has played 97.58% of Chicago's defensive snaps, the highest percentage of any Bears defender. He's also leading or tied for the team lead in several statistical categories:\x3C/p>\x3Cul>\x3Cli>\x3Cp>47 total tackles\x3C/p>\x3C/li>\x3Cli>\x3Cp>Five passes defended\x3C/p>\x3C/li>\x3Cli>\x3Cp>One interception\x3C/p>\x3C/li>\x3Cli>\x3Cp>1.5 sacks\x3C/p>\x3C/li>\x3Cli>\x3Cp>Three quarterback hits\x3C/p>\x3C/li>\x3C/ul>\x3Cp>Cronin acknowledged that Thieneman has had some rookie growing pains, but his upside is undeniable. He's already playing like a defensive leader, and as the season continues, he could finish his rookie year as one of the top safeties in the NFC.\x3C/p>\x3Ch2>Bears continue gaining respect across the NFL\x3C/h2>\x3Cp>Chicago's rise to No. 7 puts the Bears ahead of several notable teams, including the Denver Broncos (No. 8), Cincinnati Bengals (No. 9) and Patriots (No. 10).\x3C/p>\x3Cp>The San Francisco 49ers remain No. 1 despite their loss to Atlanta, followed by the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>For the Bears, the rankings reflect something more important than national recognition. At 5-2, Chicago is beginning to establish itself as a legitimate NFC contender.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Caleb Williams has been the headliner all year, even when he was sidelined with a hamstring injury, and the emergence of the team's young stars is boosting the Bears' Lombardi conversation.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>The next challenge is proving they can keep that conversation going with a win over the defending champion Seahawks.\x3C/p>",excerpt:"The Bears climbed two spots in ESPN's latest NFL power rankings, and rookie Dillon Thieneman received recognition for his impressive start.",featured_image_url:"https://jxsasjkteolpvwybngyp.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/sign/cms-media/posts/1793112621664-92u52y.webp?token=eyJraWQiOiI0ZmVjZWU3MC03MmJkLTQzZmUtYmJkZi04MGJiZDE2MmEwNTkiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJjbXMtbWVkaWEvcG9zdHMvMTc5MzExMjYyMTY2NC05MnU1Mnkud2VicCIsInNjb3BlIjoiZG93bmxvYWQiLCJpYXQiOjE3OTMxMTI2MjMsImV4cCI6MjEwODQ3MjYyM30.7w3qo7youY6qwRhav4Oc5yy0g8IuxYpuU2QTyOU_ixE",photo_credit:"(John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)",status:"published",created_at:"2026-10-27T13:40:27.521374+00:00",author_display_name:"Bryan Perez",author_gravatar_hash:"ce9d5105163cfec1a527c0b2f50332df",author_avatar_url:"/api/public/media/authors/bryanjperez-2026.jpg",category_names:$R[18]=["News"],tags:$R[19]=["Bears News","Ben Johnson","Caleb Williams","Chicago Bears","Dennis Allen","Dillon Thieneman","ESPN Power Rankings","NFL Power Rankings","NFL Week 8"],meta_title:"Chicago Bears climb to No. 7 in ESPN NFL power rankings",meta_description:"The Chicago Bears climbed two spots in ESPN's latest Week 8 NFL power rankings, and rookie Dillon Thieneman received recognition for his impressive start.",og_image_url:null,canonical_url:null,focus_keyword:"Chicago Bears",reading_time_minutes:2,is_draft:!1,scheduled_publish_at:null,visibility:"public",is_featured:!0},$R[20]={id:"4b462b1c-31bd-48fc-b5a1-6c8ae529bace",wp_post_id:100000000270,title:"Jay Glazer expects Bears to be aggressive at trade deadline, and Khalil Mack is already on their radar",slug:"jay-glazer-bears-trade-deadline-khalil-mack",wp_link:null,url_date_path:"2026/10/26",published_at:"2026-10-26T14:10:16.045+00:00",updated_at:"2026-10-26T14:10:16.045+00:00",author_login:"bryanjperez",content:"\x3Cp>The Chicago Bears are 5-2, and Ryan Poles doesn't seem interested in sitting around and admiring what he's built.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>According to FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer, the Bears could be the most aggressive team in the NFC North as the NFL trade deadline approaches. And one familiar name has already surfaced in Chicago's conversations: Khalil Mack.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>\"I think of the teams in the NFC North, there's going to be one team that's going to be really aggressive when it comes to the trade deadline. I think that will be the Chicago Bears,\" Glazer said Sunday.\x3C/p>",excerpt:"Jay Glazer expects the Bears to be aggressive before the NFL trade deadline and says they've contacted the Chargers about Khalil Mack. Here's what it means for Ryan Poles.",featured_image_url:"https://jxsasjkteolpvwybngyp.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/sign/cms-media/posts/1793023636833-7k14h9.webp?token=eyJraWQiOiI0ZmVjZWU3MC03MmJkLTQzZmUtYmJkZi04MGJiZDE2MmEwNTkiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJjbXMtbWVkaWEvcG9zdHMvMTc5MzAyMzYzNjgzMy03azE0aDkud2VicCIsInNjb3BlIjoiZG93bmxvYWQiLCJpYXQiOjE3OTMwMjM2MzgsImV4cCI6MjEwODM4MzYzOH0.jBfLqHOTj4BHpFcvKn5hTsy9GUrZs-3KAFtegPEWTKM",photo_credit:"Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports",status:"published",created_at:"2026-10-26T13:43:11.248089+00:00",author_display_name:"Bryan Perez",author_gravatar_hash:"ce9d5105163cfec1a527c0b2f50332df",author_avatar_url:"/api/public/media/authors/bryanjperez-2026.jpg",category_names:$R[21]=["News"],tags:$R[22]=["Austin Booker","Bears Trade Rumors","BearsTalk+","Chicago Bears","Dennis Allen","Jay Glazer","Khalil Mack","Los Angeles Chargers","Montez Sweat","NFL Trade Deadline","Ryan Poles"],meta_title:"Jay Glazer: Bears could be aggressive at trade deadline",meta_description:"Jay Glazer says the Bears could be aggressive at the trade deadline and have contacted the Chargers about Khalil Mack. Here's what it means for Chicago.",og_image_url:null,canonical_url:null,focus_keyword:null,reading_time_minutes:4,is_draft:!1,scheduled_publish_at:null,visibility:"premium",is_featured:!1},$R[23]={id:"62a51c46-088c-4c38-bf90-b71134c89af0",wp_post_id:100000000268,title:"Ben Johnson doesn't care that the Bears lead the NFL in time of possession. Here's why that's a good thing.",slug:"ben-johnson-bears-time-of-possession-offense",wp_link:null,url_date_path:"2026/10/24",published_at:"2026-10-24T18:59:55.448+00:00",updated_at:"2026-10-24T18:59:55.448+00:00",author_login:"bryanjperez",content:"\x3Cp>The Chicago Bears lead the NFL in time of possession. They're running more offensive plays than anybody else in football. And they're 5-2 following Thursday night's 30-24 victory over the New England Patriots.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>You'd think Ben Johnson would be thrilled with how much time his offense spends on the field.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>He's not particularly impressed. In fact, he'd prefer his offense spend considerably less time getting into the end zone.\x3C/p>",excerpt:"The Bears lead the NFL in time of possession, but Ben Johnson wants explosive touchdowns instead. Here's why his philosophy matters for Chicago.",featured_image_url:"https://jxsasjkteolpvwybngyp.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/sign/cms-media/posts/1791814553896-1cz32w.webp?token=eyJraWQiOiI0ZmVjZWU3MC03MmJkLTQzZmUtYmJkZi04MGJiZDE2MmEwNTkiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJjbXMtbWVkaWEvcG9zdHMvMTc5MTgxNDU1Mzg5Ni0xY3ozMncud2VicCIsInNjb3BlIjoiZG93bmxvYWQiLCJpYXQiOjE3OTE4MTQ1NTQsImV4cCI6MjEwNzE3NDU1NH0.v_mq91FewGaLkD4waMFHAaENqweQD7lZXEhuczNye2Q",photo_credit:null,status:"published",created_at:"2026-10-24T18:47:43.717968+00:00",author_display_name:"Bryan Perez",author_gravatar_hash:"ce9d5105163cfec1a527c0b2f50332df",author_avatar_url:"/api/public/media/authors/bryanjperez-2026.jpg",category_names:$R[24]=["News"],tags:$R[25]=["Bears Offense","BearsTalk+","Ben Johnson","Caleb Williams","Chicago Bears","Colston Loveland","Luther Burden III","NFL 2026","Rome Odunze","Time of Possession"],meta_title:"Ben Johnson doesn't care about Bears' NFL-leading stat",meta_description:"The Chicago Bears lead the NFL in time of possession, but Ben Johnson wants explosive touchdowns instead. Here's why his philosophy matters for Chicago.",og_image_url:null,canonical_url:null,focus_keyword:"Ben Johnson",reading_time_minutes:4,is_draft:!1,scheduled_publish_at:null,visibility:"premium",is_featured:!1},$R[26]={id:"526a0640-dc9d-45ae-92c1-ce84de8ea605",wp_post_id:100000000267,title:"Perez's 7: The Bears' win over the Patriots revealed something bigger than a 5-2 record",slug:"perezs-7-chicago-bears-patriots-week-7-2026",wp_link:null,url_date_path:"2026/10/23",published_at:"2026-10-23T15:38:25.546+00:00",updated_at:"2026-10-23T15:38:25.546+00:00",author_login:"bryanjperez",content:"\x3Cp>Ben Johnson's Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots 30-24 Thursday night at Soldier Field, snapping New England's three-game winning streak and giving Chicago another victory over an opponent with legitimate playoff aspirations.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Caleb Williams threw for 308 yards. Luther Burden III delivered the biggest receiving performance of his young career. Cairo Santos drilled a 58-yard field goal when the Bears desperately needed it. And those were only a few of the highlights.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>But this wasn't a perfect game. Not even close.\x3C/p>",excerpt:"Ben Johnson's Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots 30-24 Thursday night at Soldier Field, snapping New England's three-game winning streak and giving Chicago another victory over an opponen",featured_image_url:"https://jxsasjkteolpvwybngyp.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/sign/cms-media/posts/1792769631406-etcoqn.webp?token=eyJraWQiOiI0ZmVjZWU3MC03MmJkLTQzZmUtYmJkZi04MGJiZDE2MmEwNTkiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJjbXMtbWVkaWEvcG9zdHMvMTc5Mjc2OTYzMTQwNi1ldGNvcW4ud2VicCIsInNjb3BlIjoiZG93bmxvYWQiLCJpYXQiOjE3OTI3Njk2MzIsImV4cCI6MjEwODEyOTYzMn0.5ez00MFPnAWdT42NlwwqwCbJGBy_HVE518c1wHPme9U",photo_credit:" (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)",status:"published",created_at:"2026-10-23T15:03:48.016162+00:00",author_display_name:"Bryan Perez",author_gravatar_hash:"ce9d5105163cfec1a527c0b2f50332df",author_avatar_url:"/api/public/media/authors/bryanjperez-2026.jpg",category_names:$R[27]=["News"],tags:$R[28]=["BearsTalk+","Ben Johnson","Cairo Santos","Caleb Williams","Chicago Bears","Colston Loveland","D'Marco Jackson","Dennis Allen","Luther Burden III","New England Patriots","NFL Week 7","Perez's 7","Rome Odunze"],meta_title:"Perez's 7: What the Bears' win over Patriots revealed",meta_description:"The Chicago Bears improved to 5-2 with a 30-24 win over the New England Patriots. Perez's 7 examines Caleb Williams, Luther Burden III, and 7 major takeaways.",og_image_url:null,canonical_url:null,focus_keyword:"Chicago Bears",reading_time_minutes:6,is_draft:!1,scheduled_publish_at:null,visibility:"premium",is_featured:!1},$R[29]={id:"5b976dbf-dfe3-4712-a382-5976f1e7f244",wp_post_id:100000000266,title:"7 stats that could decide Bears vs. Patriots on Thursday Night Football",slug:"bears-patriots-7-stats-week-7-2026",wp_link:null,url_date_path:"2026/10/22",published_at:"2026-10-22T19:42:21.594+00:00",updated_at:"2026-10-22T19:42:21.594+00:00",author_login:"bryanjperez",content:"\x3Cp>The Chicago Bears and New England Patriots enter Thursday night's showdown with identical 4-2 records, top-10 defenses and offenses capable of moving the football, led by quarterbacks selected with the first and third overall picks of the 2024 NFL draft.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>But those similarities tell only part of the story.\x3C/p>\x3Cp>Dig into the numbers, and you'll find fascinating matchups that could determine whether Chicago improves to 5-2 or watches New England leave Soldier Field with its fourth straight win.\x3C/p>",excerpt:"The Bears and Patriots are both 4-2 entering Thursday night. Here are seven revealing stats, including Chicago's NFL-best rushing attack and Drake Maye's touchdown streak.",featured_image_url:"https://jxsasjkteolpvwybngyp.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/sign/cms-media/posts/1791207909849-p64sil.webp?token=eyJraWQiOiI0ZmVjZWU3MC03MmJkLTQzZmUtYmJkZi04MGJiZDE2MmEwNTkiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJ1cmwiOiJjbXMtbWVkaWEvcG9zdHMvMTc5MTIwNzkwOTg0OS1wNjRzaWwud2VicCIsInNjb3BlIjoiZG93bmxvYWQiLCJpYXQiOjE3OTEyMDc5MTAsImV4cCI6MjEwNjU2NzkxMH0.mJEVbG7p0TBRuld3UoXW76-HRUESblDVJ7UYGsU4-7U",photo_credit:null,status:"published",created_at:"2026-10-22T19:26:17.366054+00:00",author_display_name:"Bryan Perez",author_gravatar_hash:"ce9d5105163cfec1a527c0b2f50332df",author_avatar_url:"/api/public/media/authors/bryanjperez-2026.jpg",category_names:$R[30]=[],tags:$R[31]=["Bears Stats","BearsTalk+","Ben Johnson","Caleb Williams","Chicago Bears","Dennis Allen","Drake Maye","New England Patriots","NFL Week 7","Thursday Night Football"],meta_title:"Bears vs. Patriots: 7 key stats for Thursday night",meta_description:"The 4-2 Chicago Bears host the 4-2 Patriots on Thursday Night Football. Here are 7 key stats, from Chicago's rushing attack to Drake Maye's touchdown streak.",og_image_url:null,canonical_url:null,focus_keyword:"Chicago Bears",reading_time_minutes:3,is_draft:!1,scheduled_publish_at:null,visibility:"premium",is_featured:!1}],truncated:!1},ssr:!0}]})($R["tsr"])