Patriots lose both starting guards before Bears matchup

The New England Patriots will be without both starting guards when they visit the Chicago Bears on Thursday, leaving quarterback Drake Maye to play behind a reshuffled offensive line in a matchup of teams with 4-2 records. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that Ben Brown and Alijah Vera-Tucker were ruled out after suffering injuries in New England’s 26-19 win over the New York Jets. Matt Pryor and Walter Rouse are set to replace them, with Rouse making his first NFL start. Pryor has started 40 games in his career, including 15 for Chicago in 2024. The line changes come as Maye enters the game during a three-game winning streak. He has completed 64.1% of his passes for 878 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception over that span. Chicago coach Ben Johnson praised Maye’s ability to threaten defenses with both his passing and running, while Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen also pointed to his mobility under pressure. The Bears will counter with Caleb Williams, who returned from a hamstring injury in Sunday’s 31-23 victory over Atlanta. Williams completed 30 of 36 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown. He had missed three games before returning, and the game against New...