The Chicago Bears finally have some momentum. They've won four games, Caleb Williams is back on the field, and Sunday's victory over Atlanta gave fans another reason to believe this team might be turning a corner.
Now comes New England. The Patriots are also 4-2, but they're heading into Thursday night's game with a problem the Bears should be eager to exploit. Their offensive line is a mess, and Chicago just spent Sunday making life miserable for another young quarterback.
Bears could make life uncomfortable for Drake Maye
Drake Maye has been playing some excellent football lately. Ten touchdown passes and just one interception over his last three games? That's impressive, regardless of the competition.
But there's a pretty big difference between throwing from a clean pocket and having defenders in your face before you've finished your dropback.
That's where things could get interesting Thursday.
New England lost multiple offensive linemen during its win over the Jets. Center Ben Brown and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker were both listed as nonparticipants on Monday's injury report. Morgan Moses, meanwhile, was limited with a foot injury.
Not exactly what a quarterback wants to hear before a short-week road game.
Chicago registered five sacks against Atlanta, including three from Kyler Gordon. The defensive back also forced two fumbles, creating problems the Falcons never really solved.
Dennis Allen should be looking at that Patriots injury report and seeing opportunities.
Maye can escape pressure. He's athletic enough to turn a broken play into a first down, which makes him dangerous even when protection breaks down.
Still, asking him to overcome an injured offensive line against a defense coming off that kind of performance is a lot.
Bears have their own problems to figure out
Chicago isn't exactly rolling into Week 7 at full strength, either.
Montez Sweat remains unavailable because of his suspension. Dayo Odeyingbo is on injured reserve, and the linebacker situation isn't particularly encouraging.
T.J. Edwards and Jack Sanborn both missed Monday's practice.
That's a lot of missing pieces for a defense preparing to face a quarterback who's been throwing touchdowns seemingly every time he touches the football.
And yet, look at what Chicago accomplished Sunday.
Atlanta couldn't get much going through the air for most of the afternoon. The Bears recorded seven tackles for loss, five sacks and stopped all three of the Falcons' fourth-down attempts.
It wasn't perfect. There were still some frustrating moments, especially late.
But Chicago found ways to get into the backfield without relying on its usual personnel. That's something Allen needs to carry into Thursday.
Thursday could tell us plenty about Chicago
There's another reason this matchup is interesting.
Williams threw for 305 yards against Atlanta in his return from a hamstring injury. No interceptions, either. For a quarterback who hadn't played in several weeks, that was a pretty encouraging afternoon.
New England's defense will present a different challenge. The Patriots have been difficult to throw against, and their defensive front isn't one Chicago can afford to underestimate.
The Bears also have concerns along their own offensive line, particularly with Jonah Jackson dealing with a hip injury.
So which team handles those problems better?
That's probably going to decide this game.
Chicago doesn't need to completely shut down Maye. That's asking an awful lot against a quarterback playing this well.
But if Gordon and the rest of the defense can make him uncomfortable early, force a couple of hurried throws and give Williams a few extra possessions, the Bears should like their chances.
For once, Chicago might be the team facing an opponent with even bigger protection problems.
It would be a shame to waste that opportunity.
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