Patriots.com rounds up the national experts' picks for Thursday's game at Chicago, and most ESPN analysts pick the Bears. Mike Reiss predicts a 27-24 Chicago win, citing the banged-up offensive line, while CBS's Pete Prisco picks the Patriots 28-27.
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The Patriots ruled out five players for Thursday night in Chicago: guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and Ben Brown and cornerbacks Carlton Davis III, Karon Prunty and Channing Canada. Morgan Moses, Kevin Byard III, Craig Woodson and Christian Elliss are questionable, leaving the offensive line short-handed.
The Patriots take a three-game win streak into a short-week trip to Chicago, after wins over the Bills, Raiders and Jets. Musket Fire says Thursday's game is a key test of whether Drake Maye can keep up his recent form and avoid the turnovers that hurt the early season.
Thursday's game pits two of the NFL's hottest young quarterbacks against each other: Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. Maye has 10 touchdown passes since a 1-2 start marred by turnovers, and ClutchPoints asks whether either defense can slow them down.
Pats Pulpit's Thursday mailbag looks at how New England can beat Chicago's defense on a short week. Topics include how good the Bears' pass rush really is and how the Patriots' offensive line matches up.
