Hello Chicago Bears fans! Well, I think we were all nervous coming into this week as we tried to forget that terrible afternoon in Lambeau and get our Bears back on track. While that Guy would be out for the game, we got back the captain, the Iceman, Caleb Williams, to lead the Bears on the field. And while the Bears had a number of starters, particularly on defense, out for the game, hope blossomed in Georgia. The Chicago Bears controlled this one for three-plus quarters with efficient offense and decisive
special-teams play, but then watched the Falcons mount a spirited late rally against backups.
Final score landed at 31-23 in favor of the Bears, once the clock hits zero. Let’s talk about what happened.
First Quarter: Bears Open the Gates
Chicago came out sharp. After a methodical 10-play, 67-yard drive, Caleb Williams hit Colston Loveland for a 14-yard touchdown (Cairo Santos kick) to go up 7-0. The Bears then answered their own three-and-out defense with another sustained drive, capped by D’Andre Swift’s 4-yard plunge.
This officiating crew is known for a lot of yellow on the field and they didn’t disappoint – well, at least if you’re a Falcons fan. More on that topic on this week’s Upon Further Review.
Gooch Observation: Williams was surgical early (perfect on the opening series in some accounts), and the red-zone issues that plagued Chicago recently were nowhere to be found. Two trips, two touchdowns. The Bears didn’t just take the lead—they treated Atlanta’s end zone like an open house with free punch (non-alcoholic, of course).
Gooch Aside: Hey, Sam. Yes, you, Sam Roush. Could you, I don’t know, NOT mess up horribly in every game you play in? That would be great, thanks.
Second Quarter: The Muff That Mattered
Atlanta finally got on the board when Michael Penix Jr. found Jahan Dotson for a 13-yard score after a chunk play to Drake London, cutting it to 14-7. Despite the fact the Bears had dominated on the field (even though the Stripes were throwing flag after flag), this touchdown brough a certain parity to the game belied by the actual pay. But, that momentum was brief. The Falcons muffed a punt (Zachariah Branch), and Josh Blackwell (yes, that JOSH BLACKWELL) recovered, and three plays later Swift punched in his second score from 2 yards out. Halftime score: 21-7 Bears.
Key moment of the half: The muffed punt. It flipped field position and momentum in one bounce and handed Chicago a short field that became a touchdown. Special teams remain the great equalizer. One clean recovery turned a one-score game back into a comfortable lead. Nothing says “welcome back to reality” like turning a fair-catch attempt into a Bears touchdown.
Halftime Observations
The striped ones were enforcing the Bears Tax hard in the first half. In particular, missing an obvious leg whip on Swift that was at the point of attack and got the tackle – should have been a 15 yard penalty. Caleb was calm and efficient – destroying every narrative about his play in a half where he decidedly did not use his legs at all. Remember when being a Bears fan meant that 3rd and long was just a down away from the punt? How nice is it not to be chained to that reality anymore?
I have to note that my prediction that this game would feature a Colston Loveland breakout game came true – and he almost hit my prop with two touchdowns! I’ll take the one.
This Ben Johnson offense with Caleb behind it was dynamic and surprising. Looking back now on the parade of the backups – it is clear BJ stuck with a vanilla approach to protect those QBs and their limitations. With Caleb – we get the full flowering of the Ben Johnson offensive attack – and it flustered the Atlanta Falcons.
Allen had the defense rocking. This game was a tour-de-force of the training camp heroes, as Street, Noah Sewell, Lynch, and D’Marco Jackson all made big plays for the Bears on defense. For those wondering if the Bears defense was an illusion after the Pack attack last week, Allen had a resounding response to the contrary.
Last note for the half – how much better is it to have Kalif Raymond as a Bear than it is Olamide Zacchaeus. Oz again featured in a number of key drops, and Raymond was dynamic in the return and passing game.
Third Quarter: Business as Usual
Chicago kept the pedal down. A 7-play, 52-yard drive ended with Roschon Johnson’s 4-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 28-7. The Bears owned the clock and the line of scrimmage. It was as dominant a performance as the Bears had produced against the Eagles and the Jets. This despite a major flag/yardage disparity between what the Stripes called on the Bears and what they called on the Falcons.
GOOCH Observation: The running game (Swift + Johnson) was the closer in the red zone, while Williams continued to distribute efficiently. Atlanta’s offense stayed quiet. At this point the Falcons’ offense looked like it was still looking for the parking lot.
The Bears, perhaps looking forward to their short week and the Thursday Night game, began to sub in subs for a defense that had already suffered a number of “outs” for the game, and on offense, Jonah Jackson went out with a hip injury. But it looked like the Bears had the game in the bag – so why not? Well…
Fourth Quarter: Santos, Then the Late Spark
Cairo Santos drilled a 50-yard field goal early in the quarter to make it 31-7. We’re a clear winner right? Well, the fact is there was still quite a bit of time on the clock. Despite this, Chicago rotated in defensive backups. Penix and the Falcons took advantage: Kyle Pitts caught a 10-yard touchdown (successful 2-point conversion to Branch) to make it 31-15, then a 5-yard throw for another successful 2-point conversion to Drake London – to pull within 31-23.
I was sweating. You were sweating. We were all sweating. But a late Penix fumble on a sack (forced by Kyler Gordon, and then recovered by the Bears) helped snuff out any real threat. Kyler Gordon had three sacks – the most stacks by a defensive back since Todd Bell (sidenote: I drafted Todd Bell on to my historical Chicago Bears team that we drafted at WCG this summer).
Key moments:
- Santos’ 50-yarder provided the cushion.
- The two successful two-point conversions showed Atlanta’s fight, but they came against a second-team defense after the Bears had already built a 24-point lead.
- Gordon’s sack/fumble was a timely reminder that the starters, and how GREAT is it to have Gordon back as a starter, could still close the door.
GOOCH Observation: Williams finished 30-of-36 for 305 yards and a TD (no interceptions). Swift had two short-yardage scores, Loveland contributed the early receiving TD, and Luther Burden led the receivers with 95 yards. Penix threw for three scores but spent most of the day chasing the game. Time of possession heavily favored Chicago until the final stretch. And Kyler, let me just say, for all Chicago Bears fans, ALL IS FORGIVEN AND WELCOME BACK.
Final Thoughts
The Bears built the lead like a team that wanted to go home early and rest up for the Thursday night tilt against the Patriots, but then they politely held the door open while the Falcons scored a couple of late ones against the understudies and made it a game again. But then the Bears reasserted themselves and again showed what had won them the game in the first place, an efficient, physical, and ultimately comfortable performance on both sides of the ball.
As for the striped ones, tune in this week for “Upon Further Review” as I take those dudes to the woodshed.
But what did you think about the Bears, now 4-2, and their decisive win against the Falcons? Tell us in the comments below!
