Patriots-Bears Monday Night Football news, notes, and fun facts

BOSTON -- The 3-3 Patriots host the 2-4 Chicago Bears in Week 7, which doesn't exactly scream must-see TV. But while the matchup doesn't inspire much excitement, the fact that it's the Monday Night Football game will bring a little extra juice to Gillette Stadium.

Or, at least Patriots fans can have fun saying "Da Bears" a couple of thousand times this week. So they've got that going for them.

Monday night's game will be the first of five prime-time games for the Patriots this season, and their first of two appearances on Monday Night Football. It could also be a pretty big evening for Bill Belichick, as he looks to move up the NFL's all-time wins list.

Here are all the news, notes, and fun facts you need to know ahead of the Monday night tilt.

Week 7 Notes

• The Patriots are 28-27 all-time on Monday nights.
• Monday night will be the 15th overall meeting between the Patriots and the Bears, with New England owning a 10-4 edge overall. The Pats have won five straight over the Bears and eight of the last nine.
• The Patriots are 4-0 against the Bears in Foxboro; 2-0 at Gillette Stadium, 1-0 at the old Foxboro Stadium, and 1-0 when it was known as Sullivan Stadium in 1988. 
• The Bears are one of three teams that the Patriots are undefeated against at home during the regular season. New England is 5-0 against both Houston and Jacksonville in Foxboro.
• The Bears offense enters this week with the NFL's second-best rush attack, which is averaging 170.8 yards per game. Their passing attack is abysmal, however, ranking last in the league at 122.8 yards per game. Mash those two together and Chicago's total offense (293.7 yards per game) ranks 28th in the NFL.
• It's a tale of two windy cities on defense too for the Bears, with their run defense allowing 163 yards per game (29th in the league) and their pass defense allowing just 178.7 yards per game (third in the NFL).
• Matthew Judon must be licking his chops for this matchup. Chicago quarterback Justin Fields has been sacked 23 times, which is the most in the NFL this season.

Players Notes

• Bill Belichick could move up the all-time wins list with a victory on Monday. A win would give Belichick 325 for his career overall (regular season and postseason), which would break a tie for second place with former Bears legend George Halas. With a win on Monday, only Don Shula and his 347 victories would be ahead of Belichick.
• Belichick could pass Shula in another wins department with a victory on Monday. A win would give Belichick 258 victories with the Patriots, breaking a tie with Shula for second place for the most regular season wins with one team. Belichick would trail Halas and his 318 wins with the Bears for the top spot.
• After picking off Jacoby Brissett last weekend, Jalen Mills has two interceptions on the season. He needs just one more to match his career-best of three interceptions, which he did in the 2017 season.
• Deatrich Wise is up to five sacks on the season, and will set a new career-high the next time he sends a quarterback to the ground.
• Rhamondre Stevenson had a run of 30-plus yards in each of the last two games, ripping off a 49-yard run against the Lions and a 31-yard touchdown run against the Browns. If he breaks off another 30-yarder on Monday night, he'd be the first Patriots running back with three straight games with a 30-yard run since Antowain Smith did it in the 2001 season.
• The New England defense has not allowed a rushing touchdown to an opposing running back this season. The two rushing touchdowns the unit has allowed were to Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson and Green Bay receiver Christian Watson. The longest the Patriots have gone without allowing a touchdown by a running back was the first eight games in the 2019 season.

Connections

• N'Keal Harry -- the first and only wide receiver ever drafted by Bill Belichick in the first round -- was traded to Chicago for a future seventh-round pick.
• Chicago defensive lineman Mike Pennel Jr. signed a two-year deal with the Patriots in March of 2019, but was released by New England ahead of the season.
• Bears defensive tackle Angelo Blackson spent two months on the New England practice squad in 2017.

WBZ-TV has you covered for Monday Night Football between the Patriots and the Bears. Tune in to Patriots All Access Friday night at 7 p.m. on WBZ-TV, and then Patriots GameDay Sunday at 11:30 a.m. After the Patriots and the Bears are done on MNF, get full reaction and analysis of the game on Patriots 5th Quarter on TV38!