This week the Atlanta Falcons will face a heavyweight NFC contender for the first time this season when they host the Chicago Bears. The bad news is that Chicago has one of the league's best offenses, but the good news is they are vulnerable on defense, and they're going to be missing a big piece this week.
Bears defensive end Montez Sweat has been suspended by the league office for two games for violating the NFL's Performance-Enhancing Substances policy, knocking him out for Sunday's matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium..
Sweat led the Bears with 10 sacks last season, and they already traded their best interior rusher, Gervon Dexter, to the Falcons just before the season began.
BREAKING From the NFL league office: Montez Sweat of the Chicago Bears
is suspended for the club’s next two games without pay for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy. Sweat will be eligible for reinstatement on Friday, October 23, following the Bears’…
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) October 13, 2026
Chicago's current sack leader is second-year defensive end Austin Booker, who has four sacks in five games. Shutting him down would go a long way towards keeping Michael Penix clean and healthy in the pocket, which may be one of the most-important factors in this game.
That said, keeping up with the Bears offense is probably going to be at the top of that list - assuming Caleb Williams returns to the lineup after missing three games with a hamstring injury. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich has to match wits with Ben Johnson, who's one of the best offensive minds in the game.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: NFL does Falcons a favor ahead of Bears matchup
