The Falcons had a chance to bounce back from a last minute overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Instead, they hit the pavement and stayed there.
This was a catastrophic effort. They lost Divine Deablo, lost Kendal Daniels to a very scary injury, and looked discombobulated and sloppy all game despite the Bears piling up penalties. Caleb Williams was unstoppable, the Bears ground game rolled, and Atlanta’s ground game was limited by circumstance and weird play calling, putting pressure on a passing
game that couldn’t deliver. Two special teams fumbles—one a muffed punt return by Zachariah Branch, the other a fumbled kick return also by Branch—just made the problem worse. When the game was over, the Falcons had lost at home, where they remain winless in 2026.
It is difficult to overstate how discouraging this loss was. The Falcons looked completely overmatched from the very beginning of the game, going into a hole immediately and staying there until five minutes into the fourth quarter, when they put together an admirable, furious rally to pull within eight points. That comeback ultimately fell short—the odds were against it succeeding—but it was very nice to see real life from the offense before things ended.
But of course, that’s a pyrrhic victory. The Falcons have shown signs of life in three of their four losses this year and have still fallen short, and now sit at 2-4 on the season having lost both starting linebackers to injuries, looking sloppy and godawful on special teams in particular, and set to go into a rough matchup with the 49ers next. Anything can happen, but this appears to be another lost season in Kevin Stefanski’s first year at the helm. Perhaps they’ll make me eat those words. I would like that.
Here’s a drive-by-drive rundown of the game you just watched.
1st Quarter
The Falcons deferred and kicked it off to Chicago, who took it to about the 33 before DeMarcco Hellams tripped him up. Caleb Williams drifted away from pressure and hit Colston Loveland for 16 yards on first down. D’Andre Swift took it up the middle for four yards. On play action, Williams got Swift for a first down pass. The Bears then got hit with a false start. A quick pass to Loveland got five yards and erased the penalty. Williams was nearly sacked, then launched one up where it was nearly picked off by Xavier Watts. A holding call backed the Bears up, and then Williams found Luther Burden III for nine yards. A catch from Rome Odunze that was lateraled to Roschon Johnson went for a first down. Johnson then picked up seven yards on the ground. Johnson found more running room up the middle for a first down. Swift got a couple of yards on first down. A delay of game after the Bears failed to get the snap off backed them up five yards. Williams then got away from pressure and hit Loveland for a touchdown in between two defenders. 7-0 Bears.
Zachariah Branch got crushed shy of the 20 yard line on the return. Bijan Robinson took the opening carry for six yards after cutting back to the middle. On play action, Penix walked back and tried a screen to Bijan that was dead before the ball left Michael Penix Jr.’s hand. Penix evaded a sack, ran around a bit, and then sort of threw one away toward a receiver. Punt.
The Bears returned the punt to the 40 yard line. After a one yard run, Williams just didn’t catch the snap, but managed to fall on it for an eight yard loss. Williams then hit a leaping Odunze over the middle for a first down. Williams then hit Burden on the sideline for another first down. A quick screen to Swift went for nine yards. Swift cut back inside and got a first down. Williams then hit Kmet on a rollout for about six yards. Swift was stopped cold after a yard by Gervon Dexter and company. Swift then plunged up the middle and scored to make it 14-0 Bears.
Branch’s return was stopped just shy of the 25 yard line. Penix hit a sharp sideline ball to Drake London for about five yards. Another screen to Robinson went nowhere again.
2nd Quarter
Penix tried one low to Olamide Zaccheaus, but OZ simply didn’t get the diving catch. Punt, it was brought back past the 30.
Williams managed to loft one over a free rusher to Swift, who picked up about eight yards. Kalif Raymond caught one working against Divine Deablo and spun out of contact for a first down and more. Swift was swiftly upended on the next play by Jessie Bates. A quick pass to Swift was then stopped cold by Kendal Daniels. Williams then threw it away against the blitz. Punt, and a touchback.
Bijan picked up nine yards on first down. He then took the next carry across midfield. Penix on play action just missed a streaking, open London downfield. Penix then hit Pitts across the middle for about six yards. Brian Robinson Jr. was crushed trying to carry it up the middle for no gain. Penix’s fourth down pass was knocked down.
Williams couldn’t find an open man and just threw it downfield out of bounds, but a roughing the passer call gave the Bears plenty of yardage. A screen to Raymond went for a mile, but a holding call backed Chicago up. Williams moved around long enough to find Johnson for about 14 yards. Johnson’s run lost a yard. Williams was hit by Gervon Dexter as he threw and threw it away. Cairos Santos then missed the long kick attempt.
Penix then lofted one to a wide open London, who left a defender in the dust and ran all the way to about the 15 yard line. BRJ got about three yards. Penix then threw one to Dotson over the middle, but he took a hit that threw him off his route and didn’t get the ball. Then Penix went right back to Dotson, who was smothered but pulled in the touchdown grab. 14-7 Bears.
Swift took the opening handoff of the drive for six yards. Williams slipped away from a near sack to hit Swift for a first down. The toss to Swift picked up 11 yards, but it was brought back by penalties. Roschon Johnson was then hit by Jared Ivey right over the middle of the field. Two yards followed, and then Williams hit Odunze for a big first down before another hold backed the Bears up. Then Williams got Loveland over the middle, who dove and came up a little short of a first down. Punt.
And it was a catastrophic punt, as it clanked off Zachariah Branch’s hands and was picked up by the Bears on the 10 yard line. Loveland then took it eight yards. Loveland then dropped the would-be touchdown pass. Swift then plunged in for a touchdown again. 21-7 Bears.
Branch brought the kick to the 28 yard line. Penix tried for Zaccheaus downfield and didn’t get him. He then overthrew it a bit to Bijan, but a defensive holding call gave the Falcons five yards and a first down. Penix threw it low for Pitts, who couldn’t quite scoop it out of the dirt. Penix then was sacked on third down and fumbled, but on review it was ruled not a fumble, but it was still 3rd and 20. Bijan then took it close to 15 yards. Punt, and a holding call backed the Bears up.
A quick pass to Kmet went for a yard. On the next play, the Falcons finally got home, with Brandon Dorlus hitting Williams and Dexter finishing the sack. Swift somehow got loose for 15 yards.
3rd Quarter
After a return to about the 25, Penix tried it deep to London and he was interfered with, giving the Falcons a big pickup. A quick throw over the middle to Austin Hooper went for six yards. Bijan then got away from defenders and picked up a couple of yards. The Falcons ran a play action pass on third down and Penix was sacked. Punt, but the Bears roughed Jake Bailey and the Falcons got 15 yards and the ball back. Bijan took it up the middle for a couple of yards. Penix was then sacked again on second down as the pocket immediately collapsed. A screen to London got the Falcons within three yards of a first down. Penix bobbled the bad snap but got the ball out to London, but it was knocked down on fourth down.
A quick sideline ball to Burden picked up seven yards. Swift picked up two yards up the middle. A quick hitter to a wide open Odunze went for a first down. A quick pass to Loveland was stopped after five yards by Daniels, who was hurt on the play, and was carted off the field after a long, scary period where the Falcons’ medical staff was working with him on the field. Williams’ throw fluttered into the air after Dorlus hit his arm. Burden was pushed out of bounds a couple of yards short of a first down after a failed screen. Williams hit Loveland for a first down on the next play, but a pass interference call on the offense backed the Bears up 10 yards. Punt, and Zaccheaus caught it around the five and was tackled near the one yard line.
Bijan managed to hop his way forward for a couple of yards, and then fought his way forward for a couple more yards before a holding call was declined. On third down, Penix was hit as he tried to throw and fumbled, with Charlie Woerner and Ryan Neuzil managing to fall on it. Punt, and Mike Ford came up with a great tackle around the 45 yard line, but he was called for going out of bounds and that gave Chicago five more yards as the Falcons had to punt again. Bailey absolutely nailed his punt and Nick Muse brought the return down around the 40.
Williams threw a pretty deep ball to Burden to give the Bears a big gob of yardage. A short pass followed. Under a ton of pressure, Williams threw it away on second down. Williams then hit Roschon Johnson for a first down. A quick hitter to Burden got nine yards. Williams skipped one under pressure with Zach Harrison screaming toward him. On the next play, Johnson got some good blocking and rolled in for a touchdown. 28-7 Bears.
Brandon Dorlus then sacked Williams on first down. Swift didn’t get much on second down. A quick hitter went for nine yards.
4th Quarter
The Bears hit the field goal to make it 31-7 Chicago.
The Falcons had an anemic return, but an unnecessary roughness call and ejection on Chicago gave the Falcons a bit more. Penix whipped one downfield, but London and he were not on the same page. He then threw one over the middle to Zaccheaus, who leapt but didn’t come down with it. Penix then tried a shot to London that was broken up. The Falcons stayed on to go for it on 4th and 10 and Penix hit Branch for about seven yards, but that just gave Chicago the ball back.
Williams tried to get away from pressure, but LaCale London got him. Williams then hit Burden for over 10 yards. Swift was then tackled for no gain, and the Bears punted.
Penix hit BRJ over the middle for six yards, and then got London for a first down. Penix then got Branch for another six yards. He then got Dotson, who put on a nifty move to get the Falcons past midfield. Pitts then wrestled a would-be interception away from a defender and then rumbled for another 15 yards. Penix then hit Brian Robinson over the middle again. Penix went a little too high to London on first down in the end zone. On the next play, with Chicago’s reserves in, Penix found Pitts and he waltzed in for the touchdown. After Penix hit Branch for a two point conversion, it was 31-15 Bears.
The Falcons got the Bears down at the 26 yard line. Johnson took it for about four yards. Williams hit Raymond for a quick slant and a first down. Johnson picked up nine yards on first down. Johnson’s next carry went for a first down, but he fumbled after Jessie Bates punched it out and Harold Perkins Jr. picked it up. On the next play, Penix launched one that Dotson managed to come back for it and reeled it in for a massive gain. Then Penix tried to hit London in the ned zone and couldn’t quite connect. Penix then ran for a yard with pressure coming in. Penix then hit Pitts again for another first down. Pitts then laid out on his next catch for another touchdown. Then Penix found London for a two point conversion to pull it to 31-23 Bears.
The Falcons got the tackle at the 26. Williams scrambled away from pressure for five yards. The Falcons got the quick stop on second down. Williams threw it incomplete while being brought down, but the crew threw a flag that they picked up. Punt, and the Falcons got it around the 26.
Bijan took it four yards. Penix then tried Dotson on the sideline but couldn’t get it, missing an open Pitts over the middle. Penix then hit Branch, who caught it and took it for a first down, but a holding call backed Atlanta up. The blitz came in heavy as Penix tried to throw, and the ball squirted out forward and Chicago recovered.
Johnson took it six yards, and on second down he was tackled after maybe a yard. A neutral zone infraction gave the Bears five more yards. Caleb plunged ahead for a first down. Johnson rolled ahead for a little more. Johnson once again rolled forward for a handful of yards. Johnson slid down after a first down to end the game.
