How do the New England Patriots get some long-awaited revenge for Super Bowl XX against the Chicago Bears?
Have the New England Patriots earned the right to a trap game?
That could well be the case come Monday night, as the resurgent Patriots battle the reeling Chicago Bears in a prime-time showdown. New England has won two in a row after a tough start, thrusting itself back into the early AFC playoff picture and a divisional race where each of their competition has a winning record attached to them. Monday marks the first of five exclusive TV window appearances for the Patriots, who are also due for a showing on ESPN against Arizona in December.
This interconference showdown comes against a Bears team that has lost three in a row after a 2-1 start. The latest loss was a dreary 12-7 decision at the hands of the Washington Commanders that kicked off last week's action on Oct. 13.
How do the Patriots pull off an expected victory? We have the reasons why ...
What: Chicago Bears (2-4) at New England Patriots (3-3)
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA
When: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN
Who's Won: Patriots lead 10-4 (last: 38-31 NE, 10/21/18)
Mac's on a Mission
Monday's game is expected to feature the return of Patriots franchise quarterback Mac Jones, who had to watch from the injury list while Bailey Zappe won the hearts of New Englanders with substitute outings that impressed both in the box score and the standings column.
Jones, set to return from an ankle injury, was firmly entrenched in New England's long-term franchise quarterback role, but his slow start combined with the rookie Zappe's breakout has sparked the beginning of an aerial debate. The last time New England football yielded an in-season switch at the franchise quarterback's role .... well, you know the story by now.
The return also comes with a hint of irony: those of a legal drinking age should be advised not to take a shot every time Jones' last Monday night appearance, the infamous victory in Buffalo that featured only three throws from the then-rookie, is mentioned during tonight's broadcast. The fact that Zappe not only won games but did so in a way that would make fantasy football players proud will probably only raise the pressure on Jones.
In the NFL, there's nothing more dangerous from a broad perspective than a player with everything to lose. Time will tell just how much the Patriots let Jones work tonight, especially against a Chicago pass defense that's kept them in games (the 178 yards they allow per game is third-best in the NFL entering Monday). But if/when he's allowed to break loose, there will be additional meaning behind each of those snaps.
Many Happy Returns
Lost in the hullabaloo of Jones' return is the fact that the briefer medical absence of Damien Harris is set to end after a week. Not unlike the way Zappe filled in for Jones, Harris' absence was offset by capable substitution, with Rhamondre Stevenson proving more than capable of shouldering the ground load.
The timing of Harris' return is again intriguing, but for more optimistic reasons from a New England perspective: for all the good the Bears have done in defending the air, their ground defense has left far too much to be desired. They've given up 163 yards per game through a failure to defend, as defensive coordinator Alan Williams puts it, opponents' ability to "run the ball down (their throat)." One could argue that's how the Harris/Stevenson tandem has made a name for itself as the midway mark of the season approaches.
“It could be a tackle, it could be poor eyes, it could be slow fit,” Williams said in trying to explain the struggles after allowing 262 on the ground in a loss to the New York Giants earlier this month. “There are a variety of things… and not doing too much. I would say with our guys, the problematic thing is everyone wants to make every play. Everyone wants to help out. Sometimes that can lead to, ‘Hey, I’m not in my gap because I’m gonna help a guy over here.’ That may lead to, if I’m helping a guy over here, I may be out of my gap."
Chicago Rush
As Justin Fields continues to struggle with the pace of the NFL, the Bears' offense has been primarily kept afloat by a Khalil Herbert/David Montgomery tandem that has propelled Chicago to the penthouse of the league's rushing rankings. Even Fields has found some success on the ground, averaging 5.2 yards on 39 carries.
The Patriots rediscovered their run defense after letting up triple digits over three consecutive games, holding a strong Cleveland Browns rushing attack headlined by Nick Chubb to only 70 yards in the 38-15 win. New England is 2-1 this season when holding opponents below the century mark in yardage.
"That’s everybody doing their job, defeating blocks, tackling, pursuing the ball, just being disciplined and being sound because Chubb has very good vision, he finds openings," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said of the effort that held Chubb to 56 yards on 12 carries. "To kind of halfway keep him in check was a great job by our defensive coaches, not only the front seven, but we had a couple plays when the secondary went with the tackles to keep those seven or eight-yard runs from going to 50, which he has plenty of those. So it’s a good job by them."
If a Patriots defense allowing less than 19 points a game (seventh-best in the league entering Monday night) forces Fields into a position where he has to steal a prime time win, they'll likely be in solid shape.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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