The Chicago Bears will be looking to get back into the win column as they travel on the road for the second straight week to take on the Atlanta Falcons. On paper, this is a very intriguing matchup on offense, especially for the running game. Chicago and Atlanta are the top two teams in rushing offense in the NFL, doing so in different ways, with the Bears having a great running back duo and most of Atlanta’s firepower coming from Bijan Robinson.
The quarterbacks will also be a big part of the storyline coming into this week’s sixth showdown. Both Caleb Williams for the Bears, and Michael Penix for the Falcons, are reportedly trending on the right track to get back on the field for their respective teams at a time in which they are most certainly
needed.
Offense should be on full display in Atlanta on Sunday, here are the top offensive keys for the Bears to succeed against the Falcons.
Return of Caleb Williams
As it stands, both Caleb Williams for Chicago and Michael Penix for Atlanta are expected back on the field for their teams, and they're both incredibly important for this game. The Bears are coming off a horrid and embarrassing performance at Lambeau Field last week, and a lot of it can be pointed back to the play of the quarterback position, in addition to a poor showing from the defense. Chicago had a great story in two weeks during the absence of Williams, with both Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum pulling off wins, but the Cinderella story is over, and the Bears need their franchise quarterback to return.
Find success in the run game
Chicago and Atlanta rank first and second, respectively, in rushing offense across the NFL, and while the quarterbacks are important, the running backs may steal the show. Bijan Robinson is the superstar of running backs across the league right now, but the Bears work well with D'Andre Swift in their own backfield, as long as he maintains ball security. If Chicago was able to get Kyle Monangai back for this matchup, it would intensify what the team is capable of doing in their ground attack. But as of now, it could be a heavy workload for Swift, who could also see more run due to his quarterback just coming back on the field.
Strong offensive line play
In terms of needing high-level play from both the quarterback and ground game, there will be no bigger factor than the play of the offensive line. Green Bay's defense made the entire offense struggle last Sunday, but the best performances came from Chicago's offensive line. Atlanta's defense may not have premier pass rushers, but they've been getting the job done during the early part of the season, including a great pass rush rate by former Bear, Gervon Dexter. The Bears offensive line will need to be up to the task this Sunday, especially to keep their quarterback healthy.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 3 keys for Bears offense in Week 6 vs. Falcons
