It’s good to be back on the winning side. The Chicago Bears took care of business in Atlanta and must quickly pivot to their Thursday Night Football game.
The Bears dominated most of the game against Atlanta, save for a couple of drives by the backups in the fourth quarter.
It was a fun game on both sides of the ball and with the return of star players, it should make for a good review.
Let’s get into it.
Stock up
Kyler Gordon, DB – How many of us wrote off Gordon after the summer of zero updates or participation?
I know I thought it was a lost cause. Fans and media questioned his motivation after he got paid, compared him to Nate Davis, and openly debated whether we would ever play for the Bears again. It’s fair to say he shut up a lot of those voices Sunday. Three sacks, two forced fumbles, three tackles-for-loss and two QB hits. Spider-Man is a menace and he was incredible for the defense. I hope he stays healthy and can continue to contribute like this.
Caleb Williams, QB – The offense looks so different with the QB1. Williams controlled the operation with precision from the first play. 83.3 percent completion percentage. 305 yards. One touchdown. It was a performance that made you simultaneously glad he was back, while also making you sad or mad for what we missed without him.
Tory Taylor, P – Taking a punter in the fourth round is always unpopular. Tory Taylor can’t help where he was drafted. It put a lot of pressure on him. And honestly, the performance has been inconsistent most of his first two seasons. But I think it’s fair to say he’s finally turned a corner. Drawing muffed punts isn’t a stat, but Taylor is very good at it. He’s become a legitimate weapon on special teams and not just for his so-called banana balls. He’s finding consistency pinning opponents deep and using a lot of different types of punts to give opponents fits.
Stock down
Garrett Bradbury, C – Bradbury did not have a great game against Atlanta’s defensive line. He gave up a lot of inside pressure. He’s been solid, if unspectacular this season, but this was really the first game since the Vikings where he struggled.
Cairo Santos, K – After a miss Sunday, Santos is now 1-for-3 on his last three kicks. Not a huge sample size, but he’s only at 72.7 percent field goal percentage this season. Is kicker a concern or is this just a blip? Hopefully the latter.
Jahdae Walker, WR – Jahdae is becoming a core special teams player. He is also a willing blocker with a nice role on offense. He played fairly well on Sunday, but his two penalties were costly. He was called for roughing the kicker, allowing the Falcons to continue a drive. Later, he lost his cool and ended up getting ejected. It doesn’t seem like this is going to be an ongoing issue for Walker, more of a learning moment- but he deserves to get docked for the week.
Who is up and down in your world this week? Let me know in the comments.
