! NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (5-2) vs. CHICAGO BEARS (3-4)
Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. ET
* Gillette Stadium (68,756)
*PATRIOTS: Download Game Release | Injury Report | Matchups |Â Roster | Depth Chart | Bag Policy
BEARS:Â What They're Saying |Â Roster | Depth ChartÂ
The New England Patriots improved to a 5-2 record following two AFC East Division wins in a five-day span with a win at Buffalo on Oct. 12 followed by a win against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football on Oct. 16.
The AFC East faces the four teams from the NFC North this year as part of the NFL's schedule rotation. Over the past 13 seasons, the Patriots have a 12-game winning streak against the NFC North. Since realignment in 2002, their only loss against the current NFC North was on Oct. 13, 2002, when they dropped a 28-10 decision at home against the Green Bay Packers in their very first game against the reconfigured division. The Patriots extended their streak to 12 straight wins against the NFC North with a 30-7 win at Minnesota on Sept. 14, 2014. The Patriots were 4-0 against the NFC North in 2010 and 2006 and won their final three NFC North matchups in 2002 after the loss to the Packers.
This Patriots streak is the longest current streak any NFL team has against another division. Kansas City had the second longest streak at 10 straight wins against the NFC West until losing at San Francisco earlier this season.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
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TELEVISION:This week's game will be broadcast by FOX and can be seen locally on WFXT TV Channel 25 in Boston.Sam Rosenwill handle play-by-play duties with John Lynchas the color analyst.Pam Oliverwill work from the sidelines. The game will be produced byFran Morisonand directed byArtie Kempner.**
NATIONAL RADIO: This week's game will be broadcast to a national audience by ESPN. Marc Kestecher and Bill Polian will call the game with Ian Fitzsimmons as the sideline reporter.
LOCAL RADIO: 98.5 FM, The Sports Hub, is the flagship station for the Patriots Radio Network. Play-by-play broadcaster Bob Socci will call the action along with former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak, who will provide color analysis.
PATRIOTS SUCCESS VS. NFC
Since realignment in 2002, the Patriots are now 40-9 vs. NFC clubs, the best inter-conference record in the NFL.
SERIES HISTORY
The Patriots and Bears will meet for the 12th time in regular-season play and for the first time since the Patriots beat the Bears in Chicago, 36-7, on Dec. 12, 2010.
New England will host Chicago for the first time since a 17-13 Patriots win on Nov. 26, 2006 at Gillette Stadium. That game marked Chicago's first regular season visit to Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots hold an 8-3 overall lead in the regular-season series, but Chicago claimed a victory in the teams' only postseason matchup, taking a 46-10 decision in Super Bowl XX following the 1985 season. Since Super Bowl XX, the Patriots have recorded a 6-1 record against Chicago and held the Bears to a touchdown or less in four games.
The Patriots are 3-0 against the Bears in home games, winning 30-7 at Sullivan Stadium on Oct. 30, 1988, 31-3 at Foxboro Stadium on Sept. 21, 1997 and 17-13 on Nov. 26, 2006 at Gillette Stadium.
One of the more memorable games between the two teams was in 2002 when the Bears played their home games at the University of Illinois during the remodeling of Soldier Field.
The Patriots staged one of the most memorable comebacks in team history, rallying from a 27-6 deficit late in the third quarter to pull out a 33-30 win that was clinched on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to David Patten with 21 seconds left in the game.
PATRIOTS VS. NFC NORTH
The AFC East faces the four teams from the NFC North this year as part of the NFL's schedule rotation. Over the past 13 seasons, the Patriots have a 12-game winning streak against the NFC North.
Since realignment in 2002, their only loss against the current NFC North was on Oct. 13, 2002, when they dropped a 28-10 decision at home to the Green Bay Packers in their very first game against the reconfigured division. The Patriots extended their streak to 12 straight wins against the NFC North with a 30-7 win at Minnesota on Sept. 14, 2014. New England was 4-0 against the NFC North in 2010 and 2006 and won their final three NFC North matchups in 2002 after the loss to the Packers.
This Patriots streak is the longest current streak any NFL team has against another division. Kansas City had the second longest streak at 10 straight wins against the NFC West until losing at San Francisco earlier this season.
BRADY UNDEFEATED AGAINST CHICAGO
This week's game will mark Tom Brady's fourth start against the Chicago Bears. Chicago (3-0) is one of the eight teams that Brady is undefeated against: Minnesota (4-0), Atlanta (4-0), Jacksonville (4-0), Dallas (3-0), Detroit (3-0), Philadelphia (3-0), and Tampa Bay (3-0) are the other seven teams Brady has never lost to.
CONNECTIONS
NEW ENGLAND TIES
- Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips grew up in Nashua, N.H.
- Bears LS Jeremy Cain played collegiately at Massachusetts, where he was a two-time All-American and a two-time candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, given annually to I-AA's top defensive player. Cain ranks fifth on the school's all-time list with 363 tackles.
- Bears CB Al Louis-Jean attended Brockton (Mass.) HS, where he was selected to the 2010 Massachusetts High School Coaches Association Super 26 All-State team. He also earned Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic honors as a senior.
- Bears defensive line coach Paul Pasqualoni served as head coach of the University of Connecticut from 2011-13, and previously served as the head coach of Western Connecticut from 1982-86. He began his coaching career in 1972 at his high school alma mater, Cheshire (Conn.) HS. Pasqualoni got his first collegiate coaching experience at Southern Connecticut State, where he was an assistant coach from 1976-79 and defensive coordinator from 1980-81.
- Bears strength and conditioning coach Jim Arthur is a native of Cheshire, Conn. and attended Springfield (Mass.) College, where he worked as a student and graduate assistant until 2002, when he interned at Boston College while finishing his master's degree.
- Bears defensive quality control coach Sean Desai started his coaching career at his alma mater, Shelton (Conn.) HS, working in several positions for the freshman squad from 2001- 04. He later spent one season (2012) as the running backs coach/special teams coordinator for Boston College.
CHICAGO TIES
Patriots DE Rob Ninkovich was born in Blue Island, Ill., and attended Lincoln- Way Central HS in New Lenox, Ill., where he played defensive end and tight end in football and also lettered in baseball.
* Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo played quarterback at Rolling Meadows (Ill.) HS, where he passed for 1,888 yards and 16 touchdowns as a senior, earning Northwest Suburban All-Area honors. He also rushed for 563 yards and seven touchdowns, helping lead his team to the Mid-Suburban East League championships and IHSA Class 7A playoff berth. Garoppolo played collegiately at Eastern Illinois, where he started all 45 games he appeared in, completing 1,047-of-1,668 passes (62.8%) for 13,151 yards, 118 touchdowns and 51 interceptions. The completions, yards and touchdowns are Ohio Valley Conference all-time records. As a senior in 2013, he earned several prestigious awards, including the Walter Payton Award, given to the top player in the FCS.
* Patriots TE Michael Hoomanawanui was named first-team all-state as a tight end at Central Catholic HS in Bloomington, Ill. He played collegiately at Illinois, where he caught 40 passes for 490 yards and four touchdowns in 38 career games. Hoomanawanui was a candidate for the Mackey Award (nation's top tight end) in 2009. His father, Isy, played football at Illinois State.
* Patriots DB Tavon Wilson played in the defensive backfield at Illinois, where he earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2010 and 2011.
* Patriots DL Zach Moore attended Simeon Academy in Chicago, Ill., where he was a Chicago five-star recruit, earning all-city first team and all-state honors, as well as being named to the Illinois Prairie State Top Five. He also competed in track and field at Simeon.
* Patriots defensive assistant Brendan Daly is a Springfield, Ill. native who also coached the tight ends at Illinois State in 2004.
* Patriots linebackers coach Patrick Graham was born in Des Plaines, Ill.
FORMER PATRIOTS
- Bears K Robbie Golud originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with New England in 2005. He was released at the end of training camp.
- Bears DE Trevor Scott appeared in 14 games with two starts for the Patriots in 2012, totaling 14 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble.
- Bears quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh was originally drafted by the Patriots in the second round (50th overall) in the 1978 NFL Draft, spending five seasons with the club (1978-82).
FORMER BEARS
- Patriots running backs coach Ivan Fears served as the Bears' wide receivers coach from 1993-98.
FAMILY TIES
- Patriots RB Shane Vereen is the older brother of Bears S Brock Vereen. This game will be the first time the two will play against each other.
FORMER COLLEGE TEAMMATES
Patriots CB Darrelle Revis, Bears WR Santonio Holmes and G Matt Slauson were teammates on the New York Jets from 2010-12. Slauson and Revis also played together in 2009.
* Patriots CB Brandon Browner and Bears LB D.J. Williams played together on the Denver Broncos defense in 2005.
* Patriots offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels coached Bears WR Brandon Marshall in his first season as head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2009. That season, Marshall caught 101 passes for 1,120 yards and a then-career-high 10 touchdowns en route to earning Pro Bowl honors. McDaniels also coached Bears LB D.J. Williams both years (2009-10) he was head coach of the Broncos.
* Patriots defensive assistant Brendan Daly tutored Bears DE Jared Allen while serving as the Minnesota Vikings defensive line coach from 2012-13 and as a defensive assistant/defensive line coach in 2008.
FORMER COLLEGE TEAMMATES
- Patriots WR Brandon LaFell, RB Stevan Ridley and Bears S Danny Mc- Cray played together at Louisiana State from 2007-09. LaFell and McCray also played together in 2006.
- Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski and Bears G Eben Britton were teammates at Arizona from 2007-08.
- Patriots CB Logan Ryan, S Duron Harmon, TE Tim Wright and Bears LB Khaseem Green were teammates for all four years of their collegiate careers at Rutgers from 2009-12. Patriots S Devin McCourty was also at Rutgers in 2009.
- Patriots RB Shane Vereen and Bears S Chris Conte were teammates at California from 2007-10. Bears C Brian de la Puente was also at California in 2007.
- Patriots DL Dominique Easley and Bears LB Jonathan Bostic were defensive teammates at Florida from 2010-12.
- Patriots C Bryan Stork and Bears LB Christian Jones were college teammates at Florida State from 2010-13, winning the BCS National Championship together as seniors.
- Patriots DL Casey Walker and Bears CB Demontre Hurst were defensive teammates at Oklahoma from 2009-12.
- Patriots P Ryan Allen and Bears OL Jordan Mills were teammates at Louisiana Tech from 2010-12.
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