Patriots: both starting guards ruled out for Thursday night

THE FACT. New England ruled out guards Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring) and Ben Brown (knee) for Thursday night at Chicago, with Walter Rouse and Matt Pryor set to start inside, per Nicole Yang of The Boston Globe. Both were hurt in last week's win over the Jets and did not practice this week, while right tackle Morgan Moses (foot) is questionable after a limited session. NFL.com's Week 7 injury report carries the same designations.

THE VERDICT. Two replacement guards on a short week is a real downgrade for New England's interior run game. Redraft: trim your expectations on the Patriots' backfield efficiency and lean toward their quick passing game over anything that needs a clean pocket. DFS: fade Patriots rushing props and treat Chicago's interior pass rush as a cheap leverage angle. IDP: Bears defensive linemen get a usable one-week bump with two backups blocking inside.