Week 7 of the NFL season concludes with a "Monday Night Football" meeting of teams that often don't get an opportunity to meet one another.
After four straight weeks of divisional rivalries, this week's installment of "Monday Night Football" sees the Bears take on the Patriots for just the 14th time in the regular season and the first time since 2018.
These teams enter Week 7 on opposite trajectories as the Patriots look to keep the good vibes of a two-game win streak going while the Bears look to reverse the misfortunes of a three-game skid. Additionally, New England has one each of the last five head-to-head meetings between the two teams, dating back to 2002.
LIVE: Follow Bears vs. Patriots on 'Monday Night Football'
While there are a number of variables at play here, much of the focus in this game will be on the play of the young quarterbacks.
For the Patriots, it will be second-year quarterback Mac Jones under center. In Week 4, Jones went down with an ankle injury and backup Brian Hoyer suffered a concussion, paving the way for rookie Bailey Zappe to take the field. Zappe, 23, was 2-0 as a starter. The Patriots will look to build on his momentum with Jones returning to the fold.
Chicago will be led by second-year quarterback Justin Fields, who has had a rough go so far this season. Through six games, Fields, who is dealing with an injury on his non-throwing shoulder, has thrown five interceptions to just four touchdowns and has been sacked 23 times, an unfortunate league-high mark he shares with Carson Wentz. The 23-year-old went four picks ahead of Jones in last year's draft, but the two have had quite different paths since draft night.
Can the Bears get their first win over the Patriots since 2000? Or will New England keep the momentum rolling? Here's everything you need to know about Bears vs. Patriots ahead of ESPN's presentation of "Monday Night Football."
Who plays on 'Monday Night Football' tonight?
- Matchup: Bears vs. Patriots
- Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
The Bears visit the Patriots for "Monday Night Football" this week. It is the first meeting between the teams since Week 7 of the 2018 season and Chicago's first trip to Foxborough since Week 8 of the 2014 season.
Including the postseason, the Patriots are 10-4 all-time against the Bears, but Chicago owns the biggest victory of them all — a 46-10 rout of New England in Super Bowl 20.
There has been an abundance of changes since these two teams last met, but Patriots head coach Bill Belichick remains a constant. Since taking the helm in New England, Belichick is 5-1 all-time against the Bears, who have had six different head coaches in the Belichick era, including first-year head coach Matt Eberflus.
Belichick will look to continue his dominance of the Bears, while Eberflus will look to get his franchise on track.
What time is the NFL game tonight?
- Date: Monday, Oct. 24
- Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Monday night's game will take place at 8:15 p.m. ET. That's when each "Monday Night Football" game is scheduled to take place for the remainder of the 2022 NFL season.
On ESPN's standard broadcast, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will call the game from the booth with Lisa Salters reporting from the sidelines. The alternate "Manningcast" featuring Peyton and Eli Manning will air on ESPN2.
What channel is 'Monday Night Football' on tonight?
- Game: Bears vs. Patriots
- Date: Monday, Oct. 24
- TV channel: ESPN | ESPN 2
- Live stream: ESPN app | ESPN.com | ESPN+ | fuboTV | DAZN (in Canada)
"Monday Night Football" will be broadcast on both ESPN and ESPN2, but there are other ways to tune into the matchup.
Those with cable subscriptions can watch the game on ESPN.com or the ESPN app for free. Alternatively, the game is available on ESPN+ with a subscription to the service.
Cord-cutters can find the game on fuboTV, which offers a free trial.
In Canada, fans can watch the game on DAZN.
NFL live stream for Bears vs. Patriots
Bears vs. Patriots will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2 in the United States, but there are other places to find the game.
"Monday Night Football" will also be streamed on the ESPN app and ESPN.com for those with a cable subscription. Those without cable can still watch the game on ESPN+ with a subscription to the streaming service.
Cord-cutters can also access Sunday night's meeting via fuboTV, which offers a free trial. FuboTV carries the ESPN family of networks in addition to CBS, Fox, and NFL Network, providing football fans an opportunity to tune in to football action throughout the week.
