What happened: New England head coach Mike Vrabel announced Wednesday that left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and right guard Ben Brown will miss Thursday night's game at the Chicago Bears due to hamstring and knee injuries. Backup cornerbacks Karon Prunty and rookie Channing Canada have also been ruled out with hamstring injuries ahead of the trip to Chicago.

Why it matters: With both starting guards unavailable, veteran Matt Pryor—signed by New England on Oct. 1—and 2024 sixth-round selection Walter Rouse will start on either side of second-year center Jared Wilson. The reshuffled interior line faces a 6-3 Chicago defense allowing 19.0 points per game while the 5-4 Patriots look to build on their 20.7 scoring average.

What to watch: New England and Chicago kick off Thursday night in Chicago with Pryor and Rouse set to start on the interior offensive line.