NFL odds, best bets: New England Patriots at Chicago Bears - ESPN

Caleb Williams returned for the Chicago Bears' Week 6 win over the Atlanta Falcons, and he played his most efficient game as a pro, completing 24 of 26 throws from inside the pocket. He was seeing it fast, playing as a ball distributor. Tight end Colston Loveland saw a boost in volume and the Bears controlled the tempo with running backs D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson. This is how Ben Johnson wants his offense to operate, using the run-pass balance while mixing in high-percentage throws for the quarterback with the screen package.

Defensively, look for the Bears to keep the blitz rate up versus New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. With limited depth at cornerback and defensive end, coordinator Dennis Allen blitzed at a rate of better than 50% versus Atlanta, and his schemed fronts and coverages complement the pressure.

New England heads into Week 7 with a banged-up offensive line. Wide receiver Romeo Doubs (shoulder) is now on IR, too. The positive here is the play of Maye, who has bounced back from a rough start to the season to throw 10 touchdown passes over his last three games while also showcasing his running ability (103 rushing yards during this stretch). Maye's decision-making has improved, and he's throwing with better location. A.J. Brown returned in Week 6, and his presence will impact the Bears' coverage plans, while slot receiver DeMario Douglas can provide an outlet for Maye. The Patriots used a three-man rotation in the backfield last week, but expect Rhamondre Stevenson to still see the most volume and TreVeyon Henderson to be used as a change-of-pace runner versus a Bears defense allowing 4.5 YPC (25th).

Mike Vrabel's defense has to play a critical role here against Williams. The Patriots are