Stock Up, Stock Down: Patriots Players Who Are Rising and Falling Ahead of Thursday Night’s Bears Matchup

The New England Patriots are on a three-game win streak, but a short week with a road game against the evenly matched Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football could jeopardize it.

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The Bears and the Patriots are both 4-2 and have similar arcs in how their season has unfolded. Both have suffered embarrassing losses this season, lost key players to injury, and bounced back thanks to depth and explosive play.

The Patriots escaped the New York Jets' late-game surge in their 26-19 win on Sunday. They left that game with many of their playmakers still riding high and a few who needed to shake off the rust. So whose stock should you keep an eye on over the next 48 hours for the Patriots? We'll, here you go.

Stock UpHunter Henry David Butler II-Imagn Images

Drake Maye seemed to have forgotten about his tight end Hunter Henry in the first three weeks of the season. Things can change in professional football very quickly, though. Henry was key in putting up points last week against the Jets.

Henry had two consecutive touchdowns in the Week 6 win. He has also been a very reliable target for Maye on third down. In 2026, 30% of his total targets have come on third down.

Expect Henry to be a key factor in keeping drives alive and maybe snagging another touchdown in the red zone if possible this week against the Bears.

Christian Gonzalez Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Another dominant performance by one of the top cornerbacks last Sunday, coming off an injury that kept him sidelined for a few weeks. Christian Gonzalez took care of Jets WR1 Garrett Wilson all afternoon.

He shadowed Wilson on 17 passing plays (12 in man coverage) and allowed only two catches on two attempts for 20 yards. Gonzalez was the anchor out there, keeping Geno Smith second-guessing himself many times.

He also recorded a season-high 6 total tackles (5 solo) in the win last Sunday.

Drake MayeBob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Three straight wins mean three straight appearances on this list for Drake Maye in the Stock Up category. The third-year QB has thrived on timing and footwork in the pocket since that embarrassing Week 3 loss to the Jaguars. With help from his battered offensive line, Maye now has the second-longest time to throw in the NFL (2.98 seconds).

His deep-ball work has trended more positively lately. He was 2-of-3 on deep passes; the only miss was to A.J. Brown on the go route.

In weeks 1-3, Maye completed only 33% of his deep attempts for 0 TDs and 4 interceptions. In weeks 4-6, he hit 50% of them for 4 TDs and 0 interceptions.

Stock DownA.J. Brown David Butler II-Imagn Images

In his first game back since Week 1, A.J. Brown caught 3 of 10 targets in Week 6. A stat that felt unreal to many when they first read it. Brown dropped a deep pass from Maye that was one of five attempts that looked catchable but hit the ground throughout the game.

Brown also almost caught the Jets' late-game onside kick but dropped it, prompting a scramble for the ball; DeMario Douglas landed on it and sealed the win for the Patriots.

There's a very good chance Brown got to play in this game to shake off the rust from his absence, because on Thursday Night Football this week, he'll be heavily needed to keep the offense in the game until the very end.

Andy Borregales Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Second-year kicker Andy Borregales hopefully hasn't slipped into a funk again with missed field goals and extra points. Borregales missed his first extra point of the season in the fourth quarter on Sunday.

It's another mishap added to a list that dates back to preseason, when he went 2 of 5 against the Colts. He also missed field goals in Weeks 2 and 3 against the Steelers and Jaguars in times when the Patriots needed points.

Borreglaes has hit rough patches before, but lately this seems like a warning sign the Patriots may want to pay close attention to.

DeMario Douglas Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

On paper, DeMario "Pop" Douglas had a great game against the Jets on Sunday. He was Drake Maye's primary target, catching seven passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. However, one mishap landed him on this list, as it kept the Jets in the game late.

A late fourth-quarter fumble recovered by Minkah Fitzpatrick put Gillette Stadium on edge that the rival Jets were still in the game. The fumble and the Patriots' lackluster late-game defense almost gave the Jets momentum to try for overtime.

Douglas saved the day by recovering the onside kick; hopefully he can play cleanly without a costly mistake on Thursday night.

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